Second Dive (Kings of the Water #3) - Jasmin Miller Page 0,20

the forefront of my brain. Not even a second later, my manners kick in though and I sigh, “Let’s get you home.”

“Uh what?” I walk around her to the sliding doors, looking over my shoulder to make sure she’s following.

Of course, she’s not.

Placing my hands on my hips, I let out a loud breath, speaking slowly. “Obviously, I’m going to drive you home. Unless you’d rather try to get an Uber on a Friday night?”

“But why?”

She’s staring at me like I’ve grown a third eye.

I let my hands drop to my thighs. Loudly. “Because I’m not an asshole?”

It comes out more as a question, even though it shouldn’t have. It’s clear that I’m trying to be a stellar citizen—and just a straight-up stellar person—by doing the right thing.

Naturally, she has to make even that more difficult.

“But you don’t even like me.” This time, her voice has less bite, and I feel like massaging my temples. Now I know what my coach felt like earlier.

I take a step in her direction and bend my head to be on eye level with her, ignoring all the memories that want to haunt me when I get a good glimpse of her eyes. “I don’t have to like you to be a decent person. Are you coming now, or what? I’m not going to beg you.”

With that, I turn and make my way through the sliding doors and out into the cold rain. Thankfully, it has calmed down and there is only light drizzle now.

This time, she follows, and I gesture for her to lead the way to her car. We walk quietly until I spot our destination and stop dead in my tracks. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Chloe lets out a little snort and goes straight for the silver Honda that’s parked a few feet in front of us. “Nope. She’s still alive.”

I shake my head as I watch her grab a few things out of the trunk, wiggling her ass in the process. I contain the groan that wants to escape, and of course, I’m totally not staring at it. Nope.

And that car. The same one we drove around for years. The car we did things in. Dirty things. Orgasmic things.

When she’s done, she shuts the trunk, and looks at me over her shoulder. Her purple ponytail whips to the side as I keep staring at her. “You said to put the key under the floor mat, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

After putting it in place, Chloe closes the door, and we walk to my car two rows down. It’s a black sedan and only a few years old. The most important thing: it doesn’t hold any memories of us.

I unlock the car and get a few towels from the trunk. Fortunately, I always have some extra in case my nephews and I need them for swimming or a mess they made. I hand her one and put another few on her seat before we both get in. Chloe throws her things in the back and almost whacks me in the head.

After securing my seat belt, I glance toward the back. “A puzzle?”

“Yes. I’m going over to my mom’s tonight and she loves them. But I need to get home first and get changed. Then I’ll catch an Uber or cab to her place.”

My fingers go to the spot between my eyes and I rub it. Pinch it. “I’ll drive you to your mom’s after you get changed at home.”

I’d better get brownie points for this. Lots of brownie points.

“You don’t have to, Noah. You already did so much by taking care of the car and getting me home.”

My hand goes to the shifter to put it in reverse, my fingers turning white from pressing so hard. “Chloe, what’s your address?”

“814 Westminster Avenue.”

My head snaps her way so fast, a sharp pain shoots through the back of my scalp. Son of a . . . “Are you serious right now?”

“Yes. Is something wrong with that address? Do you want me to pull it up for you on my phone?”

“Nope. I got it.”

My breathing grows heavier as I try to hang on to my emotions by a thread.

Chloe Williams is back in my life.

I’m stuck with her for this volunteer project.

Chloe Williams is also my fucking neighbor.

Nine

Chloe

This is the strangest car ride of my life, and Noah has been acting extra weird. I don’t really blame him for avoiding me at the hospital. It was clear as day that he was as surprised as I was about being