Page 66 of Why Not Now?

“Listen, you want my opinion on whether she fits?” Spencer says, returning to our conversation. “I think she does. And if I had the ability to warn you that she’s going to break your heart, I’d tell you. But I can’t predict the future. I can’t tell you if she’s going to run scared again, like it sounds like she did before. I can tell you that you’ve been happier since you’ve been back with her, even when it was still complicated. With me and Lis, I knew I was in love with her, that she was the right woman for me, that we were right together. But if she never came to that conclusion herself, it wouldn’t have mattered what I thought.”

My phone rings and I check it, telling Spencer I’ll be right back. When I’m alone on the back deck, I answer.

“Hey, Carter. What’s up man?”

“I found a car for her,” he says without preamble.

“Really?”

“Yep. It’s in her budget, too. Unfortunately, it needs some work.”

I lean on the railing, looking out into my mom’s backyard. “What kind of work?”

“Mostly maintenance stuff. Fluid changes, the battery and the tires need to be replaced. Especially considering the snow today.”

I grunt. “How much?”

He gives me an estimate that comes out to twice as much as Ava’s original budget.

“When you’re done, it’ll be good? Safe? Reliable?”

“All of the above.”

I pull my cap off and rub my forehead, closing my eyes. “Is there any chance you’ll find a car for her that doesn’t need the maintenance that’ll be in her price range?”

“I mean, it’s always possible. People sell cars for prices they don’t realize are too low. Sometimes they just need the cash.”

“Real talk, Carter. What are the odds of that happening?”

He sighs. “Not great. This car is already going at a steal of a price, even with the work that needs to be done. I guess some of the work can be put off for a bit. But I would strongly recommend the fluid changes and the tires right away.”

She’s not going to like what I’m about to say. I don’t want to do this behind her back, but she won’t let me do it if I ask her, and she’d continue to be without a car, possibly for months.

“Do everything. Send me the bill for the work. Once it’s done, sell it to her for whatever you bought the car for.”

“Are you going to tell her?” Carter asks.

I settle my cap back on my head. “I’ll… I don’t know. Maybe.”

“It’s a bad idea not to tell her,” he says.

“Yep.”

We’re silent for a moment until Carter seems to realize I’m not going to change my mind. “All right. I can do most of it tomorrow, but I’ll have to order the tires in. If I can get them fast enough, I’ll call her tomorrow and tell her when she can pick it up.”

“Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

“Nah. I still owed you for the deal on the wedding and those New Year’s tickets. Call us even.”

I laugh. “Sure thing.” I hang up and heave a large breath. “She’s going to kill me when she finds out.”

Chapter 21

Ava

Aftertheparty,Itake Derek home, but I can’t spend the night since Lacey is with us.

I need a bit of space, anyway. After the revelation, I need to figure out exactly what we are. What I want us to be. He wants to try again, and I agreed, but is that smart?

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