Drive Me Crazy

by Samantha Chase

  “You have no idea how much I want to, but…”

  “But…?”

  “I have plans with my family this weekend. It’s my dad’s birthday, and we’re all getting together for dinner tonight and then having a surprise party for him tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

  “Me too,” he said softly. “You have no idea how much I was hoping you’d say yes. I was already planning all the things I would do to you once you got here.”

  Unable to help herself, she laughed. “Ooh…I like the sound of that. Do tell!”

  Finn laughed with her. “First…tell me what you’re wearing.”

  After that, Grace was able to cross something off her naughty bucket list–phone sex.

  Phone sex was good and all, but it didn’t take the place of the real thing.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like he was ever going to get to really test that theory any time soon.

  The last three weekends had been a bust for their plans. The first weekend Grace was supposed to fly down, she came down with a stomach bug. A week later, she was ready to come down and see him when his shop manager had gotten into an accident and Finn had to cover for him all weekend. The weekend after that, he had volunteered to drive up to Raleigh. The car had been packed and he had full coverage for the shop for the weekend. He made it barely out of the city limits when he had to pull over because he was sick.

  Yeah, he was beginning to think Grace was right and the universe was against them. She had shared her theory with him after he had to cancel, and as much as it pained him to admit it, it seemed like the only logical explanation as to why they couldn’t seem to get it together.

  Now that he was feeling better, he was ready to try again. Hell, he was ready to get in the car right now and take the rest of the week off. It was only Tuesday, but…the thought of getting to see Grace was enough to make him feel okay about leaving the shop in the capable hands of his staff while he was gone. Of course, he’d have to rearrange the schedule and make sure they were all cool with it, but it shouldn’t be an issue. He could leave in the morning and have almost all of Wednesday with her and then a four-day weekend. It was perfect! Grabbing his phone, he called her and shared his plan.

  “Oh, Finn,” she said, disappointment lacing her voice. “That’s really sweet of you, but…I can’t.”

  “What? Why? Do you have to work?”

  She sighed wearily, and he didn’t take it as a good sign.

  “Grace?”

  “I’m going away for a week,” she said after a minute.

  “Oh, uh…you didn’t mention that when we talked yesterday.”

  “That’s because I just decided on it last night. I…this isn’t working. At first it was a little comical, but now it’s just sad and…I can’t do this anymore. It shouldn’t be this hard, you know? It shouldn’t be this much work to see each other.”

  He heard her sniffle and knew tears were streaming down her face, and he wished he was there to wipe them away. Swallowing hard, he asked, “Where are you going?”

  “Coronado Beach.”

  “Wow. Back to California? Really?”

  She let out a mirthless laugh. “I know, right?” She paused. “I really love southern California and it’s one of my go-to places when I can get away. And since I didn’t get my tropical honeymoon trip, I figured I owed this to myself. Not that our trip wasn’t great, but…”

  “It certainly wasn’t tropical,” he finished for her.

  “Not even a little bit,” she said with a small laugh. “My parents have a timeshare right on the beach, and…it’s a great spot to get away and clear my head. I think I need that now more than ever.”

  “I’m so sorry, Grace. For everything.”

  “Me too,” she said sadly. “I guess I should have stuck to our original agreement and had a clean break, huh?”

  “No,” he countered. “I don’t think so. These last few weeks have been amazing. I love talking to you every day and hearing about the things you’re doing. Just hearing the sound of your voice makes my day.”

  Another sniffle. “I feel the same way, but…this is just all too much. I…need to go.”

  “How long will you be gone?” he asked, afraid to let the conversation end.

  “A week, but…that wasn’t what I was referring to.” Another pause. “I don’t think we should talk anymore.”

  “Don’t say that. Please,” he begged. “Take the week away to think, but…don’t make any decisions right now. Everything else will work out. I know it will. We will be healthy at the same time eventually!” He had hoped to get a laugh out of her, but he didn’t.

  “Goodbye, Finn Kavanagh. Have a wonderful life,” she said softly right before hanging up.

  Even though he knew she wasn’t there, Finn couldn’t seem to let himself hang up. For a solid five minutes, he held the phone to his ear and prayed she’d come back on. When it became clear she wasn’t, Finn put the phone down and felt completely numb.

  Now what?

  Should he call her back?

  Give her time to cool off and then call?

  Leaning forward, he raked his hands through his hair before resting his elbows on his knees. This so wasn’t how he imagined things going. Fifteen minutes ago, he was excited about going to see his girl–confident in the fact that they were going to make this work. And now? Now what did he have? Nothing. Because there was something else he came to realize in the last several weeks.

  She was it for him.

  Grace Mackie was the missing component of his life.

  When she wasn’t with him, or at least talking to him daily, he had nothing.

  Finn knew he could work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and it wouldn’t be enough to distract him from thoughts of her. He could become the most successful auto shop in Atlanta or in the entire state of Georgia, and it wouldn’t matter because she wasn’t there beside him. Hell, he could win the lottery and have all the money in the world, and it wouldn’t matter if he didn’t have Grace.

  Changing positions, he flopped back against the sofa cushions and placed a hand over the pain in his chest. He was familiar with it–it was the same pain he felt when he watched Grace drive away six weeks ago.

  And he had a feeling it was going to be staying with him for a while.

  Day turned to night and night turned back into day, and from his spot on the sofa, time lost all meaning. When he didn’t show up for work, his shop manager Sean called him, and all Finn told him was he still wasn’t feeling well. He thought it was a reasonable excuse and figured he sounded believable since he really wasn’t feeling well, but he was wrong.

  His brother banging on his front door thirty minutes later was his first clue.

  “C’mon, Finn! Open the door!” Dave yelled, pounding loudly against the wood.

  “Son of a bitch,” he muttered, coming to his feet. Swaying slightly, he managed to make his way to the door, yanking it open. “What?” he asked, turning away and walking back to the sofa.

  “Man, I guess you really are still sick.”

  Finn heard the front door close but didn’t bother turning around. Instead, he lay back down on the sofa and reached for the blanket he kept draped over it and tried to cover himself.

  “What is going on with you?” Dave asked, concern lacing his voice. “Sean called me because he said you sounded off and was worried.” He sat down on the coffee table and stared at Finn. “So, what’s up?”

  Maybe talking to someone would help.

  Even if it was Dave.

  “Grace called.”

  Dave’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah? Is she finally gonna make it here for a visit?”

  “No,” he said miserably. “She…she broke it off. Said we should have stuck to a clean break.”

  For a moment, Dave simply stared at him as if he didn’t understand what Finn was saying. “Did you guys fight?”

  He shook his head.

  “Is she seeing someone else?”

  He shook
his head again.

  “Then what the hell happened?”

  Finn explained about all the missed opportunities to see each other and how it was clearly a sign this wasn’t meant to be.

  “That’s bullshit!” Dave said earnestly. “I’ll admit it does seem like there were a lot of unfortunate circumstances that kept delaying things, but…you can’t let her go, Finn!”

  He flung an arm over his face to block out the light. “I don’t really have a choice. If this is what she wants, I need to respect that.”

  “Man, I really wish someone would kick you in the face.”

  Finn lifted his arm slightly and glared at his brother. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Someone needs to kick you in the face.” He shook his head. “I would do it, but you already look so pitiful that I can’t. It would be like kicking a puppy.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.” Then he reached out and gave Finn a hard shove. “I’m serious, Finn, you can’t let this happen! Get in the car and go! Drive to Raleigh! Go after her!”

  “I can’t,” he said weakly, his voice hitching a bit. “She’s not there. She said she needed to get away and…and…she left today.”

  “Where?” Dave demanded. “Where did she go?”

  “Coronado Beach.”

  “Where the hell is that?”

  “Southern California.”

  Dave shoved him again. “Then what are you doing here? Get your ass to California!”

  Slowly, Finn sat up. “What’s the point, Dave? By the time I get there, she’ll be ready to come home, and honestly, I don’t think either of us only want to have a road trip relationship. That would be ridiculous.”

  “Oh, my God,” Dave said sarcastically, coming to his feet. “You’re even dumber than I am.”

  Finn glared up at him. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means it’s time for you to stop being so damn cautious! It means you need to make a grand gesture! It means it should be telling you something if I’m the guy with all the answers!”

  Clearly, he was exhausted because nothing his brother was saying was making sense–which is what he said.

  “You cannot be this dense, Finn!” Dave yelled. “Do you want this relationship to be over?”

  “No,” he murmured.

  “Okay, yeah, that wimpy response was completely believable. Let’s try this again. Do you want this relationship to be over?”

  “The one with Grace or the one with you? Because right now, I’d love to break up with you and have you leave,” Finn said with a huff.

  Dave shrugged. “Not quite the words of a manly man, but at least I’m seeing a glimpse of the real you and not this shell of a person you look like right now.”

  “Dave…”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it.” He reached out and cupped Finn’s face roughly in his hands. “Now listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth.” He paused. “You need to go after Grace. You need to make a grand gesture to prove to her that you’re serious.” He paused again. “Are you seriously not seeing where I’m going with this?”

  Finn shook his head.

  Dave instantly released him with a snort of disgust. “That’s it. You’re hopeless.” He turned and started to walk out of the room.

  “Wait!” Finn called out, standing up. “What? What am I missing here, Dave?”

  Spinning around, he yelled, “You need to get on a plane and go to California, Finn! More specifically, San Diego. That’s probably the closest airport. Jeez! I can’t believe you couldn’t figure that out for yourself!”

  Now that it was out there, neither could he.

  Get on a plane and go to Grace.

  He chanted that over and over in his mind at least fifty times before he met Dave’s face and saw the knowing smirk there. His heart was beating like mad in his chest, and he knew this was exactly what he had to do. Who would have thought his screwup of a brother would be the voice of logic and reason?

  “You’re a genius, Dave!” he said, walking over and hugging him. When he pulled back, he asked, “What do I do? How do I find out where she is? How do I even book a flight?”

  Dave’s smile grew. “Tell you what, you go shower and pack, and I’ll work on your travel arrangements, okay?”

  Never in a million years did he think he’d trust anything to his brother, but right now, he certainly did. “Sounds good.” He turned to walk away but quickly stopped. “Dave?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver. Really.”

  And for the first time since they were kids, Dave blushed. “Go,” he said gruffly. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  Finn knew that was true, but he had a couple of special requests he needed to convey before they got started. Walking out of the room, he headed to his home office and called out for Dave to follow him. At his desk, he grabbed a notebook and wrote down a list of things Dave was going to have to work out for him. When he handed the paper to him, Finn had no idea if he was asking for too much. “You think you can make all of this happen?”

  “Not while you’re in the shower, but by the time we get you to the airport? Definitely.”

  And for the first time in weeks, Finn had hope.

  Real hope.

  He turned to leave the room and turned around again.

  “Dude!” Dave snapped, but he was laughing too. “If you don’t get your ass in the shower and start packing, it won’t matter what’s on this list! Now go!”

  “I will, but…I just never thought you’d be the one to step up and help me,” he said, his voice somber. “And I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

  Dave waved him off. “Consider this my way of repaying you for being such a jerk and a drain for so long.”

  Finn stepped closer to hug him, but Dave stopped him.

  “Although, I should point out–again, might I add–that if it weren’t for me borrowing your car, you would have never met Grace. So…you’re welcome.” And then he gave Finn one of his goofiest smirks and he couldn’t help but laugh.

  “There’s the jerk I know so well…”

  “Yup. Now go! I’ve got your control freak list to get through.”

  They might not be the closest of siblings, but right now, he considered Dave to be his best friend.

  11

  It was a little after five and Grace was settled in at the condo and was already taking her first walk on the beach. She would have done it sooner, but she decided to be practical and go grocery shopping first.

  “This is my reward for being an adult,” she murmured to herself as she stood on the shore and let the waves crash over her feet. It was a little cold and made her jump, but still totally worth it. Looking up at the sky, she closed her eyes and smiled. The sun on her face felt so good and she knew a week of this was exactly what she needed.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she frowned. Who would dare interrupt her Zen moment? She had called everyone in her family to let them know she was here safe and sound and no one at work had a reason to call her so…

  It vibrated again, and Grace reluctantly pulled it from her pocket.

  Finn.

  Sighing, she seriously considered not answering. If she was going to work on getting over him and moving forward with her life, the last thing she needed to do was talk to him. She was just about to swipe the screen to answer when the ringing stopped.

  And she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or sad.

  Sliding the phone back into her pocket, she continued to walk along the shore. Five minutes later, the phone began to vibrate again. And when she pulled it out, there was his name again.

  “C’mon, Finn. Don’t do this to me,” she whispered without actually answering the phone. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

  The ringing stopped.

  This time she was a little annoyed.

  Why would he call twice and not wait for her to answer? Wh
y wouldn’t he just leave a message? Why…?

  What if he was simply butt-dialing her?

  Okay, that would be a reason to be really pissed off. If she was here after escaping to the other side of the country to deal with a broken heart and he was accidentally butt-dialing her, she was going to seriously lose her shit. How dare he torment her like that! It was beyond inconsiderate, and it didn’t matter if he didn’t realize he was doing it, it was so wrong! And mean! And…and…stupid! Yes, it was mean, wrong and stupid, and if he butt-dialed her again, she was going to answer it on the first ring and yell until he heard her!

  Stopping in her tracks, Grace held the phone in her hands and waited.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  Dammit! Now she was really pissed! How dare he not butt-dial her a third time so she could give him a piece of her mind! Of all the rude and inconsiderate things to do! Turning around, she stomped across the sand and back toward her condo. Once she was inside and away from witnesses, she was going to call Finn Kavanagh and tell him what a colossal jerk he was! Yes, that’s what she was going to do! Call him, yell, and then hang up and delete his number from her phone forever!

  Muttering the entire time she walked, Grace caught more than a few curious glances being thrown her way but she didn’t have the strength to care. Once she was up the stairs and on the sidewalk, she quickly brushed the sand off her feet and slid her flip flops back on. There was a street she had to cross, and at this time of day, there seemed to be more traffic than usual, and having to wait simply added to her ire. In a perfect world, she could have just continued to storm the entire way to the condo.

  The condo complex was large and looked more like a giant hotel than the kind of condos you found back home, but her parents’ unit was on the sixth floor and faced the beach.

  “Just more time to gather my words,” she said to herself when she was finally able to cross the street. Through the courtyard and pool area, Grace made her way past the other residents and smiled when she had to and even waved to a few people, but she never stopped moving. With every step, her annoyance grew, and all she could think was how it wasn’t fair for Finn to break into her thoughts like this when it was only her first day here! This was her reprieve! Her escape! And dammit, it wasn’t too much to ask to have one day–one lousy, single day–to start to heal her broken heart!