to Bay 5,” I tell her. “A teenager brought in by his parents with ‘food poisoning’,” I say with air quotes. “Boy is reeking of alcohol and other things I won’t admit to knowing about.”
“This ought to be fun. Let’s run toxicology and let it speak for us.” She laughs as we make our way toward the triage.
It’s still raining outside when I finally make it out a few hours later. I rush over to my old Mazda and climb in, wanting nothing more than to get home. This has been an extra-long day. The car's interior is stuffy, and I rub my hands together to warm them, inwardly cursing that my heating is bust. Rain pelts down on the roof and against the windows. I turn the key, and old faithful doesn’t start. “Come on,” I hiss, trying again. “Shit, shit, shit.” I slam my fist against the steering wheel. “Not on a night like this.”
I pop the hood and get out. I hook it up and look down at the engine. God, I wish I knew more about cars. I didn’t think I had to. Tate used to take care of those things for a while. Then I remind myself that I’m better off without him. I was just a gullible girl who fell for a man twice my age, a man who wanted an escape from reality, and I was dumb enough to give him that. It was all in my head, what I thought he felt for me. I used to believe in fairy tales, and what I got was quite the opposite.
I start to kick the car’s bumper until my feet hurt. Until all the things I want to say to the ghosts of my past are drowned out by the rain, until I stand spent, tears of hurt and anger washing away like the dreams I used to have.
“Don’t know what she did, but it’s gonna hurt you more than it hurts her.” Wild’s husky voice brings me back to the present. I must look like a psychopath, kicking my car, standing out here in the rain, shouting. “Need me to take a look?”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” I respond without turning to face him.
“Look, I picked up a thing or two about cars over the years, probably not as much as you, but you should get out of the rain,” he snickers.
I close my eyes. I should be stubborn and stand my ground. He’s been nothing but an asshole to me, and he doesn’t even know me. That, and his attempt at humor sucks. But fuck am I tired.
“Come on. It’s the least I can do for being a jerk back there. I’m just not good with people.” So he noticed.
“Fine,” I huff, making my way to the driver’s side of my car. My clothes are soaked, and I’m freezing. I can’t calm my rapid breathing. He knocks on my window a few minutes later. I roll it down, rain beating on my face. His dark hair hangs on his forehead.
“It’s the alternator. Looks like she isn’t going anywhere, at least not tonight.” I rub my hands over my face, letting out a breath. When it rains, it fucking pours.
“Thanks for what it’s worth.” I let out a breath.
“No worries. You need me to drop you off someplace? A friend of mine brought my truck over. I could give you a ride.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary. I’ll just call a towing company. They’ll drop me off.”
“Suit yourself,” he says as he pushes away from the door. I watch him stroll away from the car. I roll up my window and grit my teeth. That man is infuriating. I pull out my cell phone, and surprise, my battery is dead. I’m going to have to go back inside and use Tamara’s.
I look over to where he is standing at his truck. I don’t want to go back inside. My head is pounding, and an Advil is calling my name. I chew on my lip and glance at him. “Argh, what the heck.”
I gather my bag and stomp over, irritated at how this night turned out. He opens the passenger door, a cocky grin on his face. I climb in, and he walks around the hood, then hops in on the other side. He passes me a small blanket that rests between us.
“Thanks.”
He fumbles with a few dials and turns on the heater. I shudder at the warmth as it seeps into my bones. I wrap