Livia examined the parking lot. “Ash, where’s your car?”
“She took it.”
Her eyes were bigger than I’d ever seen them. “You don’t even let me drive your car.”
I put the cap back on then shut the hood. “Well, she needed it.”
“Normally, you would tell people to walk.”
I kept my gaze averted.
“Ash?”
I wiped my hands on my jeans. “What?”
“Who’s this girl?”
“She’s my neighbor. I already told you that.”
Livia gave me a look I’d never seen before. “I think she’s a lot more than just your neighbor...”
“Go analyze someone else.” I shut the hood then headed to the front door.
“You must be hooked on her if you would do all of this for her.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“I’m not.”
“Are you in love with her?”
“No,” I snapped. “She’s just some girl.”
“Cut the bullshit, Ash. You went over the moon for her. The only person you would ever do that for is me. Now she must be pretty damn special.”
“Leave me alone, brat.”
“You don’t actually expect me to do that, right?”
I smirked. “At least right now. I might be able to make it to finish some of the exam.”
She shook her head slightly. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” I shut the door then left the parking lot. The stereo didn’t work, the AC was shot, and it was a stick shift.
Fuck.
When I came home that evening, my car was back in its original spot. I checked the doors and made sure she didn’t dent anything. After I made sure there wasn’t a single scratch, I walked up the stairs and to her door. Then I knocked.
She answered the door a second later, the usual hostility that adorned her face absent. “Hey…”
“Hi.” I handed her keys back to her. “Your truck is as good as new. Well, as new as a beat up pickup can be.”
She took them then a small smile stretched her face. She hadn’t given me one since the day we met. “Thank you. It just needed oil?”
“Yeah. You should get it changed every three thousand miles. You can probably last until five thousand, but I wouldn’t recommend it due to the age of your vehicle.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“Your dad never told you that?”
“Uh, no. I don’t have a dad.”
She doesn’t have a dad? “Oh…did he pass away?”
“No. He left when I was born.” She acted like she was discussing the weather.
“Oh…I’m sorry.” What did you say to something like that?
“It’s okay. I did just fine without him.”
“Yes, you did,” I blurted.
She gave me a slight smirk then returned my keys to me. “Thanks for letting me borrow your car. It was a smooth ride.”
“Sure.”
“I drove ten miles under the speed limit the entire time.”
I chuckled. “I appreciate it.”
“You like Crimson Kings?”
How did she know that? “Yeah…”
“I listened to the CD in your car,” she explained. “I like them too.”
“Oh.” We actually had something in common.
She played with her hands for a moment, fidgeting. “I really appreciate the way you helped me today. Honestly, I had no one else to call…” The sadness was heavy in her voice. “And if I didn’t get to that shoot in time, I would have been behind on my rent.”
I felt warm inside. I never helped anyone else beside myself, and I never expected it to feel good. “No problem. I didn’t mind.”
“Perhaps I misjudged you…” She looked at me with new eyes.
“No, you didn’t,” I said honestly.
Her eyes softened with humor.
“But I’m more complicated than I appear.”
“I’m starting to realize that.”
“So…since I helped you out, maybe you could help me out.” I nodded toward my apartment and winked at her.
Her smile dropped.
“Kidding.”
She relaxed then laughed. “With the promiscuous lifestyle you have, I wouldn’t have been surprised.”
I didn’t have a response to that. I was a manwhore and I wouldn’t deny it.
“I made you something as a thank you.”
“What?”
She stepped inside then returned with a dish. “Chicken tamales. I’m not good at many things, but I can cook.”
I took it with both hands. The plate was still warm. “Thank you.”
“Now you can feed your guests when they come over.” She had a smirk on her face.
Talking about all the girls at my apartment made me feel like shit. I couldn’t explain why.
“Well, thank you for everything. If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.”
“These tamales are more than enough.”
“I hope you like them.”
I stepped away and headed to my apartment. “Good night, Alaska.”
“Good night, Ash.”
I turned around when she didn’t use my real name. “Thanks.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” She gave me one last smile before she shut the door.
CHAPTER TEN
Alaska
Jace invited me over for dinner. I thought it was sweet that he wanted to cook for me, but when I arrived I realized he ordered in.
“Orange chicken?” he asked.
I didn’t understand how he had such a good body when he ate garbage all the time. “Sure.”
He handed me the plate then took his own into the living room. He sat on the couch and faced the TV. A game was on.
This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for a date. We hadn’t spent a lot of time together, and I didn’t want to eat on the couch while watching sports. I didn’t want much, just a quiet conversation and some attention.
“How’s your truck?” he asked.
“It runs fine now.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”
“It’s okay. I knew you were at work.” It would be ridiculous for me to expect him to be there every time I needed help. He had other responsibilities.
“Your neighbor helped you?”
“Yeah. He saved the day.”
“Cool.” He ate his chow mien while he watched the TV.
I picked at mine, not wanting to eat it. I hated Chinese food but he never remembered. I told him that at least ten times but he either never listened to begin with, or he just didn’t remember. I hated wasting food so I ate it anyway and didn’t complain.
“How’s work?” I asked.
He leaned forward and watched the TV. “Come on, Sandoval.” He clapped his hands and kept his eyes glued to the screen.
This was getting annoying pretty quickly. I leaned back in the sofa and stayed quiet, letting him watch the game. I took out my phone and played Angry Birds a few times. I didn’t hate sports but I didn’t like watching them all the time either.
When it finally ended, he finished his beer. “Good game, huh?”
“Yeah.” I was practically falling asleep. “How’s work?”
“Fine. Nothing too interesting.”
His responses were always short. I couldn’t get anything out of him if I tried. “How’s your scrapbooking going?”
Scrapbooking? “You mean my photography?”
“Yeah.”
I hid my annoyance. “Good. Actually, I have a showcase this weekend.” My excitement grew. “I applied to sell my paintings in this prestigious gallery and they accepted me. My debut is tomorrow night.”
“Cool.” He nodded his head. “Awesome.”
He didn’t seem that impressed. “It’s at seven, so can you pick me up at six?”
He stilled. “Baby, I have to work tomorrow night.”
“What? You just worked your ro
tation this week.”
He fidgeted with his beer. “I’m covering for a friend. If I had known about your show, I would have said no.”
“Can you get someone else to do it?” I hated to be clingy but this was really important to me. I wanted him to be there.
“It’s too late now. Sorry.”
I sighed, letting the frustration out.
“I’m sorry…I don’t know what else to do.”
I was overreacting. He was a firefighter and had a lot more responsibilities than coming to my art show. People’s lives depended on him. He was an adult and had other obligations. I couldn’t be the center of his world all the time. “No, it’s okay. I understand.”
He relaxed. “I’m sure you’ll do great.”
“Yeah…” Jace had never paid attention to my work. I actually couldn’t recall a piece he’d ever seen.
He left his beer on the coffee table then walked into the bathroom. I was glad he left me alone so I could compose myself. I was being a brat about the whole situation. It bummed me out that he couldn’t always be around, but I knew that when I started dating him. He would work for days at a time and have to stay at the firehouse. I needed to be mature and respect that.
His phone made a noise and the screen lit up. He had a text message.
The message was blocked, but it said the name of the sender.
Sarah.
Who’s Sarah? He didn’t have a sister, and I was certain he didn’t have a friend name Sarah…the paranoia started to sink in. I stared at the phone, wondering if I should take a peek.
No. I wasn’t that kind of girl.
I either trusted him or I didn’t. It was probably someone from work trying to switch shifts or something. I pulled out my phone and played Angry Birds, trying to distract my mind. Jace and I were having problems, but he would never cheat on me. He was a good guy and respected me.
He came out of the bathroom then ignored his phone. He changed the channel and started watching TV. I looked up at him, disappointed that his eyes were glued to the screen again.
Was there something wrong with me? Was I boring? Did all relationships turn out this way? Stale and old? Was it just me? Why didn’t we make out on the couch like we used to? Why was the fire between us barely in embers? Was it my fault?
I pondered these questions endlessly while we both watched TV, sitting in different corners with our hands in our laps.
My nana’s face lit up when I walked into the room. “You never come on Saturdays.”
“I know. But I wanted to bring my showcase to you since you can’t come.”
Her eyes softened. “Thank you, dear. I’m so sorry I can’t be there.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
“At least Jace will be there.”
I felt the weight on my heart.
Nana caught the look. “Is he not going?”
“He has to work,” I said sadly.
“It seems like that’s all he ever does.” Bitterness hung in her voice.
“I know…but his job is important. He saves lives.”
“And he should live his own life too.”
I didn’t want to make my grandmother upset. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.”
“But you’re sad.”
“He can’t be there for everything.”
“It just seems like he’s never around for anything.”
I opened my bag and handed her the Tupperware. “French toast.”
Her eyes sparkled. “That sounds delicious.”
Food was always a good way to change the subject. I opened my portfolio and handed her the pictures. “These are the ones I’m selling.”
She put on her glasses before she looked at them. She pulled the pictures closer to her face then further way. Silence stretched for minutes. I wasn’t sure if she liked them or hated them.
“These are…magnificent, dear.”
My heart fluttered. “Thanks.”
She examined the one of Payton. “Your sister is such a beautiful girl—both of you are.”
My grandmother said that almost every day. “Yeah, she is.”
“She’s so photogenic too.” Her eyes clouded in adoration. “I have no doubt you’ll be a hit at this showcase.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.” She handed the photos back to me. “Anything new?”
“Grandpa’s truck almost croaked on me.”
“What happened?”
“I was stupid and I forgot to change the oil.” I rolled my eyes. “Luckily, my neighbor took care of it so I could get to work. He even let me drive his BMW.”
“Wow. He sounds like a gentleman. There aren’t too many around anymore.”
I shrugged. “He has his moments…”
She smirked. “And what does he do in his other moments?”
“He’s just…promiscuous. He prefers one-night stands instead of real relationships.”
“That’s what’s hot right now.” She opened her Tupperware and started to eat.
“Yeah, I guess. There are times when he’s really sweet and real…but then it disappears and he puts this act on. When we first met, he was interesting and fun. And then he turned sleazy and tried to get me into bed. It’s almost like he forces himself to do it…I can’t explain it.”
“Sounds like he’s afraid to be himself.”
“I don’t see why. He’s really smart, cute, and rich.”
“The most successful people tend to be the most insecure.” She finished every bite then set the plastic aside.
“You really don’t know someone until you get past the surface and see what’s deep down inside. This man didn’t have to help you but he did. I think that speaks louder than what he does in his personal life. Don’t judge before you really know him.”
“I wasn’t judging…”
“It seemed like it.”
“I just…I don’t know.” I didn’t want to talk about Ash anymore. I grabbed the book at her bed side. “Shall we continue?”
“Please.” She leaned back and listened to me.
I read for half an hour before my throat started to run dry. “I should go. I still need to get ready.”
“Break a leg, kid.” She grabbed my face and kissed my cheek. “Make sure you tell me how it goes.”
“I’ll give you every detail.”
“Payton is going, right?”
“Definitely. She wants to see how much her image is worth.” I rolled my eyes. “You know her.”
She laughed. “I do.”
“Bye, Nana.”
“Bye, dear.”
I walked out then headed to the elevator. The hospital was much calmer on the weekend. People weren’t visiting their loved ones as often. Instead, they were enjoying the beautiful weather. I hit the button and waited for the doors to open.
When the door finally opened, I felt my heart move into my throat.
Ash was staring back at me, a wrapped gift under his arm. He was wearing jeans and a dark green t-shirt. It brought out his artic blue eyes. I never noticed their color before. There was faint stubble on his chin like he hadn’t shaved in a few days. I noticed details about him that I never paid attention to before.
He stepped out and kept staring at me. “Are you following me?” The humor was in his eyes.
“I was here first, so technically, you’re following me.”
“Touché.”
“Why aren’t you wearing your scrubs?”
“Oh.” He quickly glanced at himself. “I don’t have rotations this week. But I wanted to stop by and see my patient. I brought her a gift to cheer her up.”
My eyes softened. I never expected him to take time out of his day just to bring his patient a gift. That was…really sweet. Maybe I didn’t know Ash at all. Maybe I judged him too quickly. “Why don’t you have rotations?”
He shifted his weight and averted his gaze. “We usually take a break during exams.”
“Oh.”
I examined the small package. “What did you get for your patient?”
He held it up. “A kindle. She loves to read so I thought this would be good for her. I got her an Amazon gift card too so she cqn download as many books as she wants. I have a feeling she reads the same thing over and over again.” A smile stretched his lips.
Was this the same guy I first met? He was thoughtful and sweet…a direct contradiction to what he normally was. He brought girls back to his apartment then kicked them out without even a kiss on the cheek. He was a jerk and used women. But then he could be thoughtful. “That was really nice of you.”
He shrugged. “I do what I can. Sometimes medicine can only go so far.”
“Yeah…” I looked into his eyes, seeing the color of the ocean.
“And why are you here?”
“I was visiting my nana.”
“Oh.” Sadness came into his eyes. “I hope she’s okay.”
“Yeah,” I said quickly. “She’ll be fine. It’s nothing too serious.”
He didn’t ask for details. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“Well, I should probably go.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling nervous.
“Me too.” He stepped around me. “Wait. How’s your truck?”
“It’s running good. I haven’t had any problems.”
“Good. But I really think you should upgrade.”
“Never. I’ll drive that thing until I can’t afford to fix it.”
“Why are you so attached to this truck?” he asked. He stared at my face, his eyes lingering on mine. He used to check out my ass and chest whenever he looked at me, but he stopped doing that. Now he always looked at my face, his eyes never wandering.
“It was my grandfather’s.”
He nodded slowly. “So it has sentimental value to you?”
“It was his first vehicle when he came to the United States from Chile. I can never get rid of it.”
“You’re Chilean?” He seemed interested.
“Yeah.”
He kept staring into my eyes. “Well, I’m glad we could save your truck before anything permanent happened.”
“Yeah, that makes two of us.”
He stepped away. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”
“Yeah.” I needed to head home and get ready, but I was distracted talking to Ash. “I’ll see you around.”
He headed down the hallway as I stepped inside the elevator. When I waited for the doors to close, I stared at his back, noticing the muscles of his shoulders and arms. I’d never noticed them before.
Undeniable Page 7
