Page 55 of Secret Admirer
They drove another few minutes and the car lightly bounced which meant the road was horribly bumpy, but he didn't complain.
The limo had barely parked when Bart got out at the garage.
He must look out of place as the customers wore plain clothes and he was in his charcoal suit and white button-down shirt. He walked past the customers to the back and decided to approach a gray-haired man working inside the hood of a Mazda. “Are you Rebecca’s father?”
The man stood up and wiped his greasy hands on a towel he’d had in his pocket. Bart doubted that old towel took much off but the man worked his hands well as he said, “William James. You’re the guy whose nose I promised to break?”
He flinched but lowered his head. “Probably, but please let me apologize to her first.”
The man picked up his wrench. “Well, that settles this easily--come talk to me later.”
His heart lifted as he looked all around the garage filled with workers and vehicles of every make and model. “Where is Rebecca?”
“She’s not here.” Her father pointed his wrench toward the car he was working on.
Bart's heart plummeted. He hadn’t expected a hunt to find her, or to tell everyone that he'd been wrong. “Where is she, then?”
Her father settled the wrench back on a part that he was sure most people could label. He wasn’t one of them though. He waited awkwardly until the older man finally said, “She went to FIU to sign up for classes.”
Great. He’d head there and prove to her that he was in love with her.
The thought pushed him to hurry as he said, “Thank you.”
He made it to the door when her father called, “If you break her heart again, I’ll break your nose for real.”
“I understand.” He saluted.
Hopefully he never needed physical punishment, but her dad was right, and he'd treated Rebecca horribly. It was time to set the record straight and tell her.
He rushed out to the parking lot and his driver, who waited outside the car door. “FIU.”
The driver held his door for him but said, “The campus is large, sir.”
Was it? He had no idea. His mind raced. He knew Rebecca hadn’t registered before now so surely she’d have paperwork. Hopefully that meant she'd be stuck in the office until he got there. As the driver got behind the wheel, Bart said, “She needs to sign up for classes so I’ll start at the registrar.”
The college was in the other direction and it felt like an eternity before they arrived and the driver stopped.
He hopped out and passed the green grass where students congregated, a place that smelled like hamburgers and coffee, and a bookstore--he followed signs for registration.
He circled the bookstore beneath the palm trees as Rebecca stepped outside, on the path in front of him. Her face was white, her eyes bloodshot, her cherry hair in a loose ponytail. “Bart?”
He rushed and closed the distance. The air near her smelled like her rose perfume. “Rebecca, I found you.”
She pursed her lips. “I didn’t know I was lost. You shouldn’t be here. You’re not a student.”
No. He needed to apologize. He needed Rebecca back. He stepped in her way. “I’ll donate to every student organization here if you just give me five minutes of your time.”
She took a piece of paper out of her pocket and nodded. “Very well. Walk with me to pick up my books.”
“I’ll go anywhere with you.” He pivoted to walk next to her.
Just being near her again made the day better. Somehow he needed to convince her to give him another shot. This time he chose love and that meant having Rebecca back.
Chapter 18
Last night Rebecca had cried like never before.
Then sometime around morning she swore she’d take better care for herself. If she ever fell in love again, which probably wouldn’t happen as her heart was still raw over Bart, then she’d be smart. She’d put herself first and not just let herself feel so much, so fast.
