Page 61 of (Un)Expected

“No,” I said. “I’m in this, Adam. You’re stuck with one devoted fake girlfriend until filming ends.”

He smiles back widely at me. “Glad to hear it.”

“There we go.”

I sighed as my phone screen finally came back to life. It had died while I was at work, and my usual charger was missing from my locker.

I was still reeling from the kiss last night and my conversation with Adam earlier. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure I should have said something to Adam- even just casually mentioning that I was interested in someone else.

But then again, telling Adam would mean I’d decided what to do about Cole. My mind was still all screwed up, unsure how to handle my warring emotions about him. On one hand, I wanted to kiss him again—do a lot more than kiss. One brief moment together and my body already craved him, desperate for his touch.

On the other—he scared me, and yes, part of that was because I didn’t trust him, but it was more that I didn’t trust myself. I’d been fooled before by a handsome face and all the right words before. It’d taken me a long time to recover from that heartbreak, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to recover from anything like that again.

As soon as my phone got service, a series of messages came in, blinking one after the other. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Marta’s name, asking me to come to the house to look at something. Sheneverasked for help, especially if Curt was home. He was handy, able to fix pretty much anything on his own. He was also a prideful man,so much so that she’d have to sneak maintenance workers in when he was at work. So, if she was reaching out to me, they must be in dire straits.

Leaving my phone behind, I rushed out the door, jogging over to their adjoining lot. It took me a moment to survey their property, sighing in relief when I heard laughter echoing from their garage.

Turning the corner, Curt stood next to the hood of his old pick-up, watching someone else rattle around with the engine. His face was obscured, buried deep in the belly of the truck, but I’d recognize that frame anywhere.

Marta emerged from the side door, holding a tray filled with coffee and her signature maple pecan bars. As I approached, she gasped. “Oh, Alex, I’m so sorry. Did you rush over here?”

“I got your messages,” I huffed out. “I thought something happened.”

“Oh no,” she sighed, placing down the tray to poke her husband firmly in the shoulder. “See what happens when you never ask for help? Alex thought she’d find us dead because I texted!”

He smiled sheepishly back at me. “Sorry to scare you, kiddo. The truck’s battery gave me a run for my money, and I needed help jumping it.”

“Good thing you didn’t,” a gruff voice called out from below. My heart stuttered as Cole stood up, wiping his hands on a cloth folded over the front fender. His pushed-back sleeves showcased his forearms deliciously, each of the veins protruding in the very best way.

“Why?” Marta said, backing away from the car. “Is it going to blow?”

“No,” Cole chuckled. “The problem’s with the starter, not the battery. If you jumped it a couple of times, the starter would still be dead, and you’d need a new battery on top of it.”

“Can you fix it, son?” Curt asked. Neither Marta nor I missed the term of endearment, shooting each other twin looks of surprise. Marta was the friendly one of the pair. As far as I knew, I was one ofthe few people Curt had a soft spot for. Apparently, Cole had weaseled his way into Curt’s good graces too.

Brow furrowing, I glanced up at him. “What are you even doing here?”

“Alex…” Marta warned.

“What?” I asked her. “How didheknow you needed help?”

Cole stared at me, grinning at my annoyance. “I was going to see you, and Marta was walking toward your house. When I stopped, she told me what happened, and I offered to check out the truck.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “That okay with you, sweetheart?”

I was so tempted to tell him no, but watching him with my surrogate parents softened my hardened heart. I loved that he went out of his way to help them.

My misplaced annoyance waned. “You were coming here to see me?”

“I was dropping off dinner.” He nodded to the car in the Anders’ driveway. “I saw Javi on his way out, and he said you were working late. Considering the state of your fridge, I thought you might be hungry.”

My mouth dropped open, not used to someone taking care of me. It meant the world that Cole dropped everything to help the Anders. But it meant just as much that he’d gone out of his way for me. Too many nights, my dinners consisted of pop-tarts or frozen pizzas stuffed in my face before collapsing into my bed.

I couldn’t help the shy smile that graced my face. Cole stared at me in wonder, like he saw something special for the first time. When he glanced up at the clock on the garage wall, he grimaced. “It might not be warm anymore. I’ve been here for a while.” He nodded to his car, which I now realized belong to Calla. “Go ahead and take it in. I’m going to see if I can get this old girl running.”

Marta smiled, taking his hand in hers. “Tell me how we can repay you. Anything you want.”

“It’s nothing, ma’am.” He waved off her concern. “I’m happy to help.”

“How about this? I’ll cook you dinner tomorrow, both of you.”

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