Page 6 of Someone Like You

“Just wanted to know if it’s fine, that wasn’t very clear.”

I threw my bottle cap at him. “Shut up, loser.”

Two more weeks passed,and when I asked Jordan to call Miguel again and ask if his brother was available, he laid some terrible news at my feet.

“He’s off to Mexico now,” he said.

“What?! A month in Rio wasn’t enough? What the hell!”

“Yeah, Miguel’s not sure when he’ll be back,” he said.

“Fuck, Jordan, that guy was my only hope!”

“I know,” he said. “He was your Obi Wan. Look, I can take the car down to Big Boone’s for you.”

I eyed him warily. “I feel like you’re just gonna try and kick Brody’s ass, and then you’ll get thrown out, and then I’ll never get my car fixed. I might as well sell it at this point.”

“I’ll buy it from you,” he said.

“You don’t even have a license, Jordan. Which, by the way,why?”

He shrugged. “Meh. Who needs one when all your friends can drive?”

“Fucking freeloader,” I muttered. But anxiety was beginning to crawl up my arms, down my legs, and nest in my lower back. I was gonna have to take the car back to Big Boone’s.

I decided to do it on a weekday, when I was sure Brody wouldn’t be there. So the following Wednesday morning, when I didn’t have classes, I drove down to Big Boone’s, listening to the discordant tones of clinking and clanking as my little car chugged along valiantly. When I got to the door of the shop, I hesitated.

Even if Brody was inside, I felt like after what happened, he might actually respect my warning. Maybe. Fuck, I wished I knew him better so I could gauge how earnest he’d been when he told me he wouldn’t touch me again.

I ripped the door open and marched right up to the counter, not giving myself time to look around the store. Not thinking about the last time I’d been here, when I’d witnessed the beauty that was Brody smiling and happy, in his element?—

What the fuck. What the actualfuck. Where had that fucking thoughtcome from? Oh my god. If I wasn’t panicking before, I sure as fuck was now because Brody wasn’t beautiful.

Yes he fucking was.

Oh, there was something deeply wrong with my mind. He’d fucked me up. He’d popped a few key gears out of place, and I had no idea how to right them.

“You do that a lot, you know.”

I blinked, and the black-haired, scowling girl with gray eyes stared back at me. “Sorry. Do what?”

She waved a hand around her head. “It’s like…you’re not even here.”

I’d been hopingshewouldn’t be here, because I associated her with Brody being here. But fuck it, I’d come this far.

“Well, I’m here. Can I get someone to look at my car?” I chanced a glance around the shop, relief sinking into me when I saw no one else was here but us.

“Yeah, but we’re pretty backed up today. Only got one mechanic here. There’s some kind of bug going around andthey’re dropping like flies.” She waggled her eyebrows at me, and I hated it. “Get it?”

“Yeah. Really clever. So how long will it take?”

She rapped her fingernails against the counter and pursed her lips, squinting her eyes at the ceiling. “Hmm, probably five hours.”

“Just tolookat it?”

“Give or take.”

“I don’t—I can’t—” Fuck me. “Goddammit, fine. Here,” I said, shoving the keys across the countertop.

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