Page 9 of Someone Like You

“Brody,” I said, exhausted now. “I just…can we please not talk about it anymore? Please?”

His eyes searched mine, and then he said, “The parts won’t be here for a few days.”

I suddenly wondered why I ever bought a car in the first place. It was so much damn trouble, and it didn’t feel worth it.

“How the hell am I supposed to get home?” I asked out loud.

“I can drive you,” he offered.

“I’d rather eat a cactus than get in a car with you,” I said. I paused, and before I could think about it any further, asked, “When?” I didn’t have anyone I could call for a ride. Between walking home and Brody, I’d pick the one where I didn’t haveto exercise for three plus hours. My body was not made for strenuous activity.

Brody didn’t even blink at my rudeness. He said, “I’m off at four today. So, two hours.” As if reading on my face how much I didn’t want to spend two more hours here, he added, “There’s a sandwich shop down the street, if you’re hungry.”

“Fine. Four,” I conceded. Then, after a pause, I added quietly, “Thank you.”

He had the decency not to look smug about it, and when he walked toward the back I found my eyes trailing down his body, catching on his ass in tight black jeans that hugged it so perfectly.

Are you fucking kidding me right now, brain?

Without even looking at Bri, despite feeling her eyes boring into my soul, I pushed out the door and walked down to the sandwich shop with a heart full of dread. I didn’t know how I was going to pay for a new catalytic converter when all I had in my bank account was a thousand bucks. My part-time job at the school’s bookstore wasn’t going to get those numbers anywhere near where they needed to be fast enough.

I was fucked.

3

ISAAC

Imade him wait. Even though I wanted nothing more than to be back home, curled up under the covers with my laptop and a shitty Netflix movie, I didn’t leave the sandwich shop until 4:15. And the petty part of me had definitely been a lot louder than the rational part, because on my way back to Big Boone’s I finally realized that he would probably leave without me if I wasn’t there on time. I ended up running the rest of the way, and both him and Bri were standing by the front door, watching me wheeze my way down the sidewalk.

“Sorry—wheeze—lost—wheeze—track of—wheeze—time,” I panted, bent over with my hands on my knees.

“That looked painful,” Bri said. Brody knocked her lightly on the back of her head. “Ow! Thatwaspainful, you dick!”

“I barely touched you.”

“I’m pressing charges for assault.”

“It’s not assault when it’s your sister.”

“Can we—wheeze—go, please?” I was finally getting my breath back, and I wanted to get this over with.

“This way,” Brody said, leading the way to a black pickup truck at the front of the small lot. Bri trailed behind him andI trailed behind Bri, realizing with a wash of horror that the three of us were gonna be crammed into the cab of that truck. Thankfully, Bri took the middle, and I shoved myself against the door, pretending I had more space than I did.

“Can we stop at Taco Bell?” Bri asked.

“No,” Brody said, starting the car and pulling smoothly out of the lot. I stared out the window, wondering what the hell my life was right now.

Bri popped her gum and switched the radio on, and when Britney Spears’ voice came through the speakers singing about someone being toxic, Bri started to sing along. I gaped at her in awe, at the voice coming out of that mouth that excelled at chewing gum.

Because it was awful. It was worse than Jordan’s. It was like a dying rat’s final garbled wail, protesting the end of its life.

“Oh my god. Can you not?” I said. I didn’t usually try to rain on anyone’s parade, but I needed my ears. For life and stuff.

Brody punched the radio off, and for once I was thankful for him.

Bri huffed and slid as far down in her seat as she could go. “You two are made for each other. Don’t even know the meaning of having fun.”

“Bri, it’s a five minute drive. Just chill.” Brody sounded affectionately exasperated.

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