by Nikki Wild
“Hey, don’t give me the third degree here,” I grumbled. “So what if I missed a few of them? They’re optional, anyway.”
Dalton closed the hood and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thinking that oil changes are optional is exactly what got you into this mess,” he told me in exasperation. “No wonder this thing’s giving you trouble. You’ve probably totally fucked the engine up.”
“Well, that’s just perfect,” I threw my hands up in disgust. “I rely on this thing to get home, to get to work… what the fuck am I going to do now? This piece of junk car is all I had left!”
“Listen, this might be salvageable. I know a guy in town who works at a reputable auto shop. I can have this towed there, and you can assess the damage after he takes a look. Sound good?”
“Do you remember the bit where I don’t have any money?” I reminded him tersely.
“Forget about the money. It’s on me.”
“Oh, no it’s fucking not.”
He flashed me an angry look. “Clara. You can suck up whatever bullshit is running through your head, accept my help, and get back on your feet… or you can cling to your pride and watch your life crumble around you.
“Personally? It’s your choice.”
I was livid, but he was right.
“You know what? Fine.”
“Fine is not how you convince me to shell out for towing fees and an estimate on repairs,” Dalton told me, crossing his arms angrily.
“…Would you please help me?” I relinquished.
“Of course,” he replied, letting his crossed arms sag against his chest. “I’ll make a couple of calls now, and get you set up.”
“Alright,” I nodded. “And… thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” he shrugged.
With that, he stepped aside and pulled out his phone. I decided to venture back towards the festivities, pretending to have changed my mind from a “lack of plans.”
About twenty minutes after I’d rejoined the group of people, Dalton pulled me aside with the good news.
“Tow truck’s on the way. Your car’s being left in good hands. It’s late on a Tuesday, so you’re going to have to wait until later tomorrow afternoon to find out the damage.”
“But… what about school?” I muttered. “How the fuck am I supposed to get to school like this? And I’ve already signed up for banquet shifts, out of town…”
“You’ll need to consider cancelling those,” he answered. “No telling what the consensus will be, thanks to your maintenance plan… or lack thereof. But I can get you to school and back.”
“With what, your motorcycle?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I keep a spare helmet around that’ll probably fit you. We have the same first-hour class anyway. How late in the day do you stay?”
“Until about 4 o’clock.”
“Cool. I get out of my last class an hour before then, so I can just stick around in the union for the meantime. Sound like a plan?”
Begrudgingly, I agreed.
It was pretty rock-solid… but I’d already decided to cut my ties with this guy. The last thing I needed was to be relying on him, not only to get around, but also to solve my vehicular problems for me…
Maybe he was right about that ‘destiny’ stuff.
I tried to kill the thought before it could finish, but it was too late. We’d been thrust together, him and I, and now that the fun and games were over and I decided to leave…
Something cataclysmic happened to drive us back together, no matter what.
With everyone focused towards the back patio and the kitchen, nobody noticed the tow truck pull up in front and scoop up my shitty little car. It also helped that everyone was drinking copious amounts of wine and liquor. Even Dalton’s grandparents seemed to have lowered that tremendous stick up their collective asses just a few inches.
When Dalton had paid the tow driver and the car was gone, we went into the back and said our goodbyes to everyone. Nobody seemed to find it strange that we were leaving together… nobody except his grandparents, who looked at us curiously for just a moment.
Dalton didn’t seem to notice that, thankfully.
When we were done, we walked back around to the front. With great care, he guided me onto his motorcycle. It felt strong and untamed between my legs.
“That’s right, squeeze it with your thighs,” he instructed me, watching how I grew comfortable on it. “I’m going to be in front, so just hold on around my abdomen. I’ll drive safely. Here’s hoping nobody pulls us over…”
After a moment, he was seated with his back to me. I wrapped my arms around him as Dalton revved the engine and kicked up the stand, pulling us onto the road.
Riding behind him was incredible. I loved how the wind filtered through my hair, and the sounds of the road as we navigated towards the main highway, took some turns, and wound up meeting the interstate.
But it wasn’t just that. Holding him close, practically clutching onto his body, sent a shiver down my spine that I couldn’t completely attribute to the wind.
His muscles were hard beneath his clothes. Dalton had arrived in his suit earlier, only pausing to remove his helmet and straighten his attire after parking his motorcycle. This meant that there wasn’t any thick leather or bothersome layers to come between us.
My stepbrother was built broad, tough, and with powerful muscles that lined his entire body. I’d known this as a fact when I’d straddled him during our night together, but I’d tried my hardest to push that aside.
It was hard to avoid being reminded, over and over, for the entire hour that we were on the road.
Part of me expected Dalton to try and bring me to his place. I wondered how I’d react to that… and decided, ultimately, that I’d be okay with it. After all, we had school in the morning. It made more sense for me to sleep on his couch or something.
Instead, he didn’t make the appropriate turn, and he brought me back towards Natalie’s apartment. Dalton didn’t bother killing the engine as he parked, letting me unwrap myself from around him and climb down from the throttling beast.
“So, this is goodnight, huh?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I’ll be back in the morning. You’re not far, so I don’t have to get up too much earlier. When do you need me?”
“How about seven o’clock?”
“Don’t you think that’s cutting it a little short?” He questioned, tilting his head.
“Okay. A little earlier than that.”
Dalton shook his head. “Be down here at a quarter to seven,” he instructed. “Think you can do that?”
“Sure,” I replied, quietly admonishing myself for choosing a class so early in the day. What the hell was I thinking?
“Alright. See you in the morning,” Dalton muttered offhandedly, sailing off on his ride towards the falling sun.
“Yeah… in the morning,” I sadly, quietly responded after him. He hadn’t bothered to wait up, or to even try to convince me to come home with him.
But that’s what I want, right?
Of course it wasn’t.
I knew it even then.
Rather than try and summon him back or wallow self-piteously in the encroaching darkness, I plugged in my key code, entered the building, and took the elevators up.
To my surprise and disappointment, the lights were off as I arrived. I’d been looking forward to Natalie’s company after such a strange and stressful day, but she wasn’t here – instead, she was probably out drinking with other friends, or hanging with her boyfriend.
I was alone.
Changing out of my dress, I took a quick shower to clean up and shed the light makeup. I took it long and hot, standing with my back and shoulders against the beating heat of the water for upwards of an hour.
When I finally dragged myself out and toweled off, no happier than I’d been before, I ran my hair drier and checked my text messages.
Nothing.
I was pretty full from all the food e
arlier, so I didn’t feel like snagging anything meaningful to eat. There was also some homework to do, but I didn’t particularly care about it right now.
Instead, I grabbed my emergency pint of chocolate ice cream from the freezer, huddled down with a blanket, and parked myself in Natalie’s usual spot on the couch.
I hadn’t made it more than an episode or two into some mindless sitcom when the door finally opened. Natalie slid inside, her boyfriend’s lips all over her as she let them both inside. He was pinning her wrists up against the wall and kissing her neck when her eyes fell on me.
“Heya, girl… don’t worry, we’ll drag this back to the bed… room…”
She recognized the pint of ice cream on the coffee table, and pushed her hands against Jared.
“Fighting a little tonight, huh?” He asked huskily, diving in for another kiss.
She took his cheeks into her hands and looked him in the eyes. “I’m afraid I’m gonna have to skip this one, babe.”
“Wait, what? Why?”
She nodded her head towards me. “Babygirl’s pulled out the emergency ice cream. I’m afraid that tonight’s not Sexy Night anymore. Now it’s Roommate Night.”
He looked disappointed, pulling back and running his fingers through his hair. “Okay. Alright. Fine. Goodnight.”
Jared threw a nasty look my way and stormed out, throwing the door shut as he left. I felt my spirits crumple into dust at the display of anger over my emotional state.
“Ignore him,” she sighed, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry for ruining your night,” I muttered, moving my legs as Natalie dropped to sit down beside me on the couch.
“Nah, you didn’t ruin anything,” she reassured me. “Honestly, you might have just done me a favor.”
“How’s that?”
Natalie blew at her bangs in exasperation. “He’s cute, and he knows how to handle that dick of his, but good lord, is he a complete idiot,” she chuckled. “After that little stunt there… I’m pretty sure whatever I saw in him is gone now.”
“Well, at least there’s that. I’m gonna be frank, I’m not really sure what you ever saw in that guy.”
Natalie gave me a smirk. “Yeah, well, hey! Silver linings! I haven’t been single in ages. Maybe it’s time to get my slut on, you know? I could totally pull off a revolving bedroom door. I wonder if I can call Daddy’s contractor to get a literal one installed…”
She paused when she saw my expression.
“What, too much?”
“You’re too much,” I smiled, pulling her into a big hug. “Look, you can call him back. I’ll be fine.”
“No, dude. You’ve gotta tell me what’s…” Natalie paused, her face falling. “Oh shit, it’s the wedding. That was today. Okay, yeah. I’m gonna dock myself some points for misplacing that vital piece of information and bringing my guy home–”
“Nat, it’s okay,” I reassured her.
“Oh yeah? I’m not convinced,” she replied, letting her eyes trail towards the melting pint of ice cream. “Anyway. Give me a minute. Let me change into something a little more comfortable, and then I’m coming back out here, ordering a pizza, and we are talking it out.”
“I’ve already eaten,” I shrugged.
“First off, okay, but it’s fucking pizza,” she laughed. “It’s like dessert. There’s always room for it. Secondly, if you insist, that’s just more for me, but I’m starving.”
Natalie jumped up, whipping out her smartphone. I could hear her placing a pizza order in her bedroom as she changed, and she finally walked back out in expensive, silky pink pajamas as she hung up the phone.
“Cool. It’s on the way.”
She slumped down onto the couch, her back against the armrest, and looked at me with the most endearingly sincere eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Alright, Clara. Tell me everything from the top…”
14
When I arrived the following morning, Clara was waiting for me in the spot where I’d left her the previous night. I’d connected the spare helmet at the back, and I handed it to her as she walked up towards me.
“See if that fits,” I instructed.
She slipped it on. “It’s not exactly snug, but it’ll definitely do,” she told me, before eyeing me curiously. “Who exactly does this belong to?”
“It’s my old one. I outgrew it eventually.”
“Really?” She sounded impressed. “Must have been ages ago. How long have you been riding?”
“Since long before the marines,” I answered.
Apparently satisfied with this, she climbed onto the back and put her arms around me again, straddling the seat tightly. Once I decided that she was properly secure, I kicked off.
Clara was surprisingly close that morning. I don’t mean that just physically, with her arms actually wrapped around me, but emotionally, too. As we sat in Psych class, still working off of my textbook, her cold exterior seemed to have melted away somewhat.
She laughed at the jokes I made, didn’t shy away from eye contact, and didn’t make a move when I scooted my chair a little closer to her (under the guise of easier book sharing, of course).
“Okay, what’s gotten into you?” I asked her after class, guiding her to the side once we left the building.
“What do you mean?” She tilted her head.
“Yesterday, you were full-on ice princess, but today… you’re acting as if everything’s perfectly fine between us.” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “What changed?”
Clara sighed. “It’s just… a combination of things, really.”
I crossed my arms boldly. “Enlighten me.”
“Well…” Clara bit her lip tentatively, gazing up at me. It had the distinct effect of making my cock twitch in my jeans, although I tried to ignore its sudden alertness. “Look, all that destiny crap you fed me last week… I couldn’t help but think that you maybe had a point.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I mean, we had our night together, and I loved every second of it. But then our parents were getting married, and I needed to extract myself from you. Then, they actually got married, and there was no way you and I could have a future together. But no matter what, I just can’t get rid of you, can I?”
“I’m not following…”
“The car,” she reminded me. “The whole reason why you’re bringing me to school, right? I have the perfect opportunity to cut you loose and let that just be the end of that, and then this happens. Now, I’m stuck in a position wherein I have to rely on you… which I don’t like, but it conveniently keeps us together.”
“That’s true,” I thought aloud. “So… what does this mean, then? As far as how things are going between us, at any rate.”
Clara smiled softly. “It means that… I think I want to keep seeing you.”
“You spoke to that friend of yours, didn’t you?” I grinned. “Your roommate. The girl from the bar.”
“…She did have some compelling arguments, yes,” Clara wistfully explained. “We stayed up half the night talking about stuff. I went to bed feeling way better about everything.”
“Remind me to buy that woman flowers,” I grinned like an idiot. “When she told me that she made a hell of a wingwoman, I didn’t know the half of it…”
“Yeah, getting my best friend on your side from the start is sort of a plus,” Clara laughed. “But look… just like that night we shared together, this doesn’t mean I’m promising you anything. I need you to understand that.”
“No, I get it,” I nodded, scratching the back of my head. “We’re just taking it slow for now, right? No need to complicate things any further than they already are…”
“That’s right.”
The tone of Clara’s voice was relatively noncommittal, but her face was saying it all. She was positively beaming.
We realized the time, and that we were both going to be late for our prospective following classes. Parting with a strong hug and a quick kiss, we separated away
from each other, reinvigorated with energy for the day.
Unfortunately, bad news came later on. My buddy at the auto shop rang me back while I was in the student union building, seated in comfortable furniture and gazing out the large, glass wall over the campus. I was waiting on Clara’s last class to wrap up, and my mechanically minded friend didn’t exactly have anything reassuring to tell me.
“Alright, let’s hear it,” I started. “Have you got anything good to tell me?”
“Wish I did, dude.”
He sounded exasperated.
I frowned tentatively. “It’s that bad?”
He took in a sharp breath of air. “Yeah… the way it’s looking now, the engine’s totally fried. Her oil was not only really low, but filthy as shit. Did she miss some oil changes or something?”
“Yeah, I think she might have mentioned that…”
He chuckled with exasperation. “Should have stayed on top of that shit. Whole engine’s gotta go. Now, this being an old clunker, she might want to consider just getting a new car altogether.”
I sighed. “I don’t think she’s not going to be able to take that option.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll tell you what I tell everybody when I see an impending mess as bad as this one: tough shit. I’ll try and pull some strings because it’s you, but even if I found a used, compatible engine that wasn’t going to absolutely crucify her bank account, this thing’s gonna die from something else. I give it half a year… maybe a year, tops.”
“So, it’s either spend thousands on an engine and buy some time, or spend at least that on a newer vehicle. Either way, she’s out of pocket a substantial little sum.”
“Sure looks that way, bro.”
“Alright, Kevin. Thanks for everything you’ve done. I’ll talk to her, and we’ll sort it all out.”
“Later, dude.”
I hung up the line angrily.
As soon as the problem had happened, I’d known that it was going to take a miracle to fix it. Unfortunately, having her come back around had apparently filled the miracle quota for today.
I was still trying to figure out what to do when Clara came into view. She was climbing the wide steps outside, ducking into the union building and scanning for me. As she spotted me in the seating area, she stomped towards me with a look of clear, overwhelming stress painted across her face.
