Page 42 of The Relationship Mechanic

Pandemonium ensued with everyone talking at once. Vini’s ears rang with Ava’s yells, and her throat twinged when she yelled back. This was not how she wanted everything to come out. Aiden appeared, probably having heard the commotion, and after a few aborted motions, he and Grace managed to contain an almost vibrating Ava between them. Jessica had stepped back and was now leaning against the wall as she stared.

“Calm the fuck down,” Vini said.

“‘Calm down,’ she says. You purposely got involved with someone who only came here because she got caught playing two other women. How does that screamrelationship materialto you?” Ava was breathing hard as she put her hands on her hips. “Was she the one who suggested keeping things on the down-low? Do you even like my sister, or were you just using her for entertainment?”

Grace spoke up this time. “Of course she likes Vini. How could she not?”

Vini appreciated the words even as something in her gut clenched, wondering the same thing. Surely Jessica liked her at least a little bit? She wouldn’t continuously seek her out if she didn’t. Vini glanced at Ava before hurrying to Jessica’s side.

“Jess, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Jessica’s tone was flat, and Vini knew just how not fine it was. When Jessica glanced down at her, her eyes were blank. There was nothing there to give Vini a hint at what she was thinking or feeling. Vini wanted to reach up, but now it was like there was a wall between them that she was afraid to penetrate. Something had shifted, and it made her want to cry out in anger.

“This is why I don’t do this.”

Jessica’s words were soft, soft enough that Vini almost missed them. But she didn’t understand what they meant. “What are you talking about? Don’t do what?”

Jessica blinked slowly before pushing off the wall and moving away. “This. Relationships.” When Vini tried to reach for her, Jessica stepped farther away. “I’m sorry, Vini, but I can’t give you what you want. I can’t do this.”

Everything in Vini cried out, but the pain of those words stole her breath. She was frozen and helpless to do anything but watch Jessica shake her head. Vini’s vision felt like it was darkening as she watched Jessica turn away. It wasn’t until she was out the door that whatever spell had fallen over her broke and she stumbled forward, only barely managing to catch herself on the counter. When the door closed behind Jessica, sound filtered back in, and she turned to where Ava and Grace were loudly arguing.

“How could you keep this from me?” Ava yelled. “I can’t believe you would lie to me.”

“I wasn’t lying,” Grace countered, trying to reach for her. When Ava flung herself away, Grace’s hand dropped back to her side. “Ava, please.”

Ava scowled before stomping over to the door. “I’m not going to stay here and listen to this shit.” She pushed the door open. “Do not follow me.”

“Ava!” The door slammed shut, cutting Grace off even as she reached out. The lobby was plunged into silence, and Vini felt like her strings had been cut. The only thing holding her up was her grip on the counter.

Aiden looked between her and Grace as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what. Vini didn’t think there was anything that could be said that would save the shitshow that this day had become.

“I should go,” Grace said finally. Her voice was quiet, and she didn’t turn around. Vini saw her shoulders fall, but she was too locked in her own pain and anger to offer her anything. Aiden gestured toward Grace, but Vini said nothing. All she could do was fall back on the one thing that kept her going: work.

She turned, ignoring the food on the counter, and made her way back into the garage. She had a lot to do and wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the familiar movements of her work. Cars were much easier to figure out than people, and she could use a little easy right now.

“Vini!”

Absolutely not.She ignored Ava’s voice and kicked her shoes off, preparing to shower and then fall into bed. She didn’t want to talk, especially not to Ava. The rest of the day had passed by in a blur. She had faint memories of finally eating when Aiden had pestered her for the third or fourth time and of him finally pushing her out the door when the sun had gone down. But everything else was a blank. She barely remembered driving home, and now she wished she had just stayed away and booked herself a hotel room.

Vini turned toward the stairs and was halfway up them before Ava called out to her again, this time from right behind her.

“Vini, we need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” She continued up the stairs, ignoring the footsteps behind her. The rest of the house was suspiciously quiet, and she wondered where everyone else was. Did they already know? Well, Dani already knew what had been happening between her and Jessica, but clearly she hadn’t told anyone else since this was all blowing up today. She closed the door behind her. When Ava came barreling through not a minute after, Vini gritted her teeth and tried not to show just how aggravated she was. “Ava, go away.”

“Not until you talk to me.”

Vini kept her back to her. “You did plenty of talking earlier.”

“And you didn’t do enough.”

That had her finally whirling around. “Seriously? You think I have anything to fucking say to you after you walked into my shop and acted a fool in front of someone I—” Vini cut herself off with a click of her teeth.

“Someone you what? You like?” Ava narrowed her eyes at Vini’s silence. “Vini, you can’t be serious. You can’t seriously think that Jessica is relationship material.”

“And what if I do?” Vini countered, clenching her fists at Ava’s know-it-all tone. “What the hell makes you think you know better about my life than me? Are you really that delusional to think I can’t make my own choices about who I do and don’t want to be with? Do you really think that lowly of me?”

Ava’s eyes widened, and she dropped her arms from where they had been crossed over her chest. “Of course I don’t think lowly of you.”

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