Page 13 of All Our Ghosts

Cole lets out a huff as he leans against the desk. His face is covered in motor grease and his forehead is slick with sweat.

“So, you want the good news or the bad news?” He asks, and suddenly my worry doesn’t seem so silly anymore.

“Good...” I answer without hesitation.

Cole nods. “Well, you need an entire new engine.”

My mouth drops slightly. “That’s the good news?” I ask in disbelief.

“Bad news is, these engines are hard to come by now. It’s gonna take a little bit before we can get one and rebuild it.”

My stomach twists. “How long?”

“Couple weeks, maybe?” He shrugs. “It might just be better to find a new car, Kadence.”

“No,” I blurt out and he furrows his brow as I shake my head. I swallow back the lump in my throat, “This car means too much.”

“It’s expensive to fix a car like this,” he says gently.

My eyes meet his and I know exactly what he’s saying but I can’t give up on this car that easily. My father wouldn’t. I did the math earlier in the diner, figuring out how much money I have left to my name, and I know it's not enough to cover the car. Cole doesn’t even have to tell me. The pitiful look he’s giving me says it all.

I run my hands over my face and sigh. I have disappointment and sadness radiating off of me like heat right now. He shifts on his feet like he can feel it.

“You really want to keep the car?” Cole asks, quirking a brow.

I look up at him, “I do…I just–I don’t have the money for it.” I admit and he glances around, putting his hands on his hips like he did before as if he’s assessing everything around him.

Cole freezes for a moment and a flicker of light crosses his blue eyes. “This might be out of line, but I could offer you a job here. In exchange for work on the car.”

I furrow my brow. “A job? Why would you do that?”

He smiles, and, for the first time since this morning, it reaches his eyes. “Think of it as a mutually beneficial business decision.” Cole chuckles. “This place is a mess, as I’m sure you can see, and I could use all the help I can get right now.”

I glance around the mess that is the office.

“There’s a mother-in-law apartment upstairs.” His chin lifts slightly. “You’re welcome to stay there for the time being.”

My eyes well with tears as I shake my head. “Why are you being so nice to me?” I say tightly, trying to keep the ball of emotions tangling in my throat at bay.

Cole’s features go soft, his eyes drop slightly and a sadness washes over him, but it's not pity this time. “Because you look like you need someone to be nice to you.”

The words shatter my heart and a sob slips from my lips. I bury my face in my hands as embarrassment floods me. Do I really look that broken? The floor creaks under Cole’s weight as he takes a step and I feel his presence as he crouches down in front of me.

“Hey,” his voice cuts through my pathetic cry, “Look at me, Kadence.” Cole hesitates for a moment before gently pulling on my arms, getting me to look at him. He tilts his head slightly, catching my gaze. “I don’t know who made you feel like kindness was a privilege you weren’t worthy of, but I’ll do what I can to get you back on the road.”

I sniffle softly, my eyes searching his. I can tell he's being genuine, no hidden agenda that I can sense, and for the first time in a long time I feel safe with a man. It's a strange feeling. Not having the urge to pull away from the warmth of his calloused hands. He flashes me a crooked smile, it's a little awkward but, to be fair, I am currently staring at him with tears streaming down my face, inches from his.

“Okay.”

"Okay," he whispers back before standing up with a nod. "I'll give you a minute, and then we can get your things from the motel if you want."

I nod, grateful not to have to sleep on those musty sheets again. Cole takes a step backwards from me shoving his hands into his pockets before he turns and leaves. My chest heaves with a deep shaky breath and I wipe away the tears from my cheeks before moving to follow him.

We climb into the tow truck and make it back to the motel. Cole helps me gather my things from the room I rented and I hand back the key to the kid behind the office counter witha smile. It doesn't take very long and soon we're headed back towards the garage.

"You said I was safe?" I ask looking over at him. "What did you mean by that?"

Cole looks over at me before glancing back to the road. “Well, I'm sure you’ve noticed that we’re not just a garage. We’re a motorcycle club as well.”

---