Page 130 of Verses

“Yeah.”

“That’s where it overflows when it gets really hot. And there’s some in there already, so you’re probably okay. You can always add coolant that way, too, but it looks okay right now. So my next question—do you have any of these fluids already in your car?”

After our short discussion, I knew I probably should have. “No.”

“Then let’s head to the Market and get some. But first let’s check the transmission fluid level. For that, you’ll have to start the car again.”

Once he showed me how to check that one as well, I shut the car off and then we decided to head to the store. Charlotte Market, the only remaining grocery store in town, was less than a block away from my apartment—but I didn’t know how much stuff we’d have to get. “Should we drive?”

“I think we’ll be okay. You only need a quart of oil and everything else looks good—but we should get you some coolant so you have it on hand.”

Sure enough, the market had a tiny section with a few automotive supplies. As I looked at the oil, I felt overwhelmed by the multitude of selections—but Wolf grabbed a quart of Pennzoil. I asked, “How do you know which kind to get?”

“See all these different types, like 5W-30 and 10W30? If you look at your engine cap, it says what kind you need. I’ll show you when we get back to your car.”

“I’m so glad you’re here. I didn’t know any of this stuff.” It was a miracle I could drive.

After he winked at me, he grabbed a jug of coolant. “This is the kind that’s already mixed. If you buy the other kind, you have to add an equivalent amount of water.”

“Why?”

“If you don’t, your engine could overheat. But if you buy it pre-mixed, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Once more, Wolf insisted upon buying the fluids and, as we left the store, I said, “You already fixed my car. Please let me pay you back for these.”

“Nope. This is part of it. And I get to spend time with you. That makes it all worth it.”

We walked the short distance back to my apartment and, once there, he filled the oil and instructed me to remove the radiator cap either later in the day or the next day when the car had cooled off—and to fill it if needed.

“Ready to take her for a test drive?”

“Yeah.” I got in on the driver’s side and Wolf slid into the passenger seat. He didn’t have to adjust it because my last passenger had been Kyle—and I remembered why my battery had died. We’d been at a party at Rabbitbrush Reservoir, a fishing spot a few miles north of Charlotte, and I’d left my headlights on a good part of the night. Liam had gone off with some girl earlier that evening. Kyle had had too much to drink, and I’d had to help him out of the car and into the apartment, up the stairs and into bed. By the time I had him tucked in, I didn’t think to head back to the car…where the passenger door stayed open all night.

Thus contributing to a dead battery.

I’d put all of that out of my mind, probably because when I’d asked Kyle to replace the battery since it was technically because of him that we’d left the door open, it had become just another point of contention between us.

Trying to block it out again, I turned the key in the ignition and then put my seatbelt on. Wolf already had his on, so I backed out of the spot and soon we were on the west end of Main.

The car felt a little rough, so I was inclined to stick to side streets.

“Bird, why don’t we put some fresh gas in the tank?”

“Yeah, I should. It’s running low.”

“And what you’ve got in here is old. The car will drive better with fresher gas.”

“Only if you letmepay for it this time.”

He chuckled…but made no assurances.

When we got to the gas station, I jumped out and slid my debit card into the slot before he could beat me to it. He shook his head and took off the gas cap. Then, while I filled it up, he grabbed the squeegee and washed the windows. He said, “Now maybe you won’t have to walk all the time when it’s cold.”

“I’m not driving a couple blocks to work and then a half block to The Apothecary. That would be silly.”

“It’s an option.”

“Yeah. It’s just nice that I can go places when I want again. Like maybeyourplace instead of you having to pick me up.”

---