Page 53 of My Darling Mayhem

“Thanks so much for coming over and helping out.”

Buck moved near my car while Archer stepped next to me; he was so close that our shoulders touched.

“Can you pop the hood for us, Wren?”

I did as he asked, sliding into the front seat of my car and popping the button that released my hood. Archer felt around for the hook, then shoved the slab of metal up, securing it in place.

Both men were suddenly behind the lifted hood, discussing something I couldn’t hear. When I finally joined them, their conversation seemed to stall.

“So, any idea what the problem is?”

Buck shifted on his leg, glancing at the engine like he wasn’t sure where to start.

“Well…you’ve got uh…” He glanced at Archer, then me. “A battery issue.”

Archer snapped his head over quickly as if he was reprimanding Buck with a look. While I couldn’t see his face, I felt the mood shift.

Buck hesitated. “I mean a radiator problem that can’t be fixed. I hate to say this, but the car is done for.”

My eyes slowly trailed to my neighbor, whose strong jaw worked back and forth while his eyes sparkled. “Bummer, beautiful. Looks like you’ll need a new car.”

“But I…there’s no way it’s just done for. You barely looked at it. Can you explain in a little more detail what’s going on? I have this serviced regularly, and I just got it back from the mechanic.”

Buck started moving various wires around, which all came apart as if they’d been cut. I gasped as he started going through the list of things that were wrong. “You’ve got your intake hosehere. It’s ruined. These connectors for the battery...” He held up two wires I knew had been intact last week when I checked but were now severed. “They’re done for, but the worst thing is the radiator. No clue how, but there’s a hole in it.”

“A hole?!”

Buck nodded with a wince. “Sorry, but there’s too much damage done to justify the repairs.”

Archer turned his face, but I saw his shoulder slightly shaking like he was laughing.

Was this some kind of joke between the two of them?

But it couldn’t be a prank because the hoses were really cut, and when I tried to start it this morning, it wouldn’t even turn over.

My gut sank.

“Oh.”

What was I going to do?

I needed a car to get to work. I needed a vehicle for Cruz. I was a single mom; it wasn’t like I had another person with a car I could rely on to take him to school or pick him up in the middle of the day if he had an accident at school. My savings were for that trip I wanted to take with Cruz. There was only four thousand dollars in it, which I was insanely proud of, but it had taken me so long to save that. I had my medical bill coming in for my damn ankle. Cruz had strep throat two weeks before that, so that bill was still sitting on my desk, needing to be paid. I’d just bought him school clothes and new shoes, which set me back. My credit had improved, maybe I could get a loan and add the extra payment to my monthly budget.

The idea of how tight that would make things felt like someone had started squeezing a fist around my lungs. I was going to cry right here in front of these two men.

“Uh, could you excuse me? Buck, would you mind telling Archer what I owe you, and I’ll get you cash? I just have to run inside real quick.”

Archer said something, but I didn’t hear him as I ran inside.

Heat crawled up my neck, and my throat felt tight. Tears lined my eyes as I swiftly passed Kane and Cruz, playing in the living room, and closed myself into my room. Memories of how things once were for me and how low my lows had gotten came back in a rush. I had to breathe through my nose and walk around my room to remind myself I wasn’t still there. I had a home. Cruz was safe.

I wouldn’t be homeless again.

I wouldn’t go hungry again.

I wouldn’t have to consider selling my body just to eat. I was in a good home and a good job. This was just a bump in the road.

Tears were streaming down when I heard a gentle knock on my door.

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