Page 86 of Marked By Night

“Will do! Catch you on the flip side!”

“Later gator,” I say, using the goodbyes we came up with when we were little. We haven’t used them in so long it makes a pang of nostalgia shoot through me.

After making sure Ash leaves safely, I have Hemsworth lead me to Vin. We round the corner and approach the garage.

As soon as we step through the door the scent of grease and oil hits my nostrils. It reminds me of what my dad used to smell like, and I stop and let the waves of melancholy and loss pass. My dad was my world and I miss him so much it hurts. His face is slowly fading from my mind and that bothers me more than anything since my uncle never let me keep any pictures of him.

“Hey there, are you all right?” A masculine voice asks startling me out of my thoughts.

“Dang, don’t scare me like that, Vin. You might end up with my switchblade through your eyeball.”

His lips twitch. Oh, so he doesn’t believe me, eh? I might have to show him what I’m made of one of these days.

“What are you doing out here?”

“I thought this is the day you go to the store. Can I still take you up on the offer? This place is in dire need of snack foods.”

“Sure thing,” he says, wiping his grease covered hands on a shop rag. “Let me wrap up here really quick. Dante had your car towed in and I’ve been working on fixing it up. It should be almost finished.”

“Wait, what? They sent you my car?”

That’s oddly sweet of them. I’d never admit it to anyone, but that bucket of rust means a lot to me. I paid for it, and my blood, sweat, and tears went into fixing it up.

Vin nods, leading me down the hallway office to where the actual shop is and where my car is parked. My eyes dip to his firm ass in those tight jeans as we’re walking, but I quickly glance back up.

When we step into the main portion of the garage, my jaw drops. He walks over to my car and shuts the hood, wiping it down with a cloth. It looks immaculate. Somehow the little spot of rust that’s been slowly overtaking the back fender is gone and the whole thing is shining like a sheet of wet glass.

Vin tosses me the keys and I excitedly pop open the driver’s side door—he even fixed the handle, and it opens on the first try.

“Huh. I’m impressed,” I say climbing in behind the wheel.

He smiles. “I’m assuming you’d like to take this to town then?”

“Uh, yeah! If that’s an option, anyway.”

“Absolutely. Besides, we need to test it out. See how it handles.” He opens the backdoor so Hemsworth can get in—like a true gentleman and then sits down in the passenger seat beside me. My piece of shit car turns over on the first crank.

“No way. What sort of witchcraft is this?” I ask, adjusting my seat and the rearview mirror to my liking. “How did you manage to do all of this already?”

He shrugs. “I kind of have a gift with vehicles.”

“I’d say so. Fuck, this is amazing! Thank you for fixing him up, Vin. Although, I’d like to help next time.”

“It’s my pleasure, Miss. There are some other minor revisions that need to be made if you want to help then.”

“Definitely,” I say.

Then Vin removes a remote out of his blazer pocket, tapping on the button, and the garage door rolls up without a sound.

Well, isn’t that nifty?

I smirk, gunning the gas, loving the rumbling sound the engine makes as I circle the loop in the driveway.

35

Sadie

After I toss every single comfort food I could ever need into the shopping cart, we head to the checkout lane. I eye the cart warily because it’s practically overflowing between the amount of food Vin bought and my items. Bet that’s going to be one hefty bill. At least I’m not the one paying.

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