Page 36 of The Plus One
After about four (failed) attempts at various parallel-parking spots, two extremely minor curb jumps, a gentle bottoming out over a road plate, and the tiniest bumper bump on a lamppost, Indira paid thirty bucks for a spot at a nearby parking lot and cut the engine.
They sat silently for a moment, Indira trying to get her jack-hammering heart to calm down after the stress. Having a car in a big city was a lot like owning cast-iron cookware—it seemed almostlike a luxury at first, but ended up being a way bigger hassle than it was worth.
Out of nowhere, Jude erupted into laughter, making Indira jump. She stared at him in horror as the rusty noise echoed through the car, his shoulders shaking and throat working as he leaned over, resting a large palm on the dashboard.
“What’s so funny?” Indira hissed, her lips kicking up at the sides as his giggles turned into a wheezing noise.
“You might be the worst driver I’ve ever seen!” Jude choked out, his face red and eyes watering.
“I am not! I’m a great driver!”
“By whose standards?” Jude asked, trying and failing to pull himself together.
“You and Collin are the ones that taught me, smart ass. That’s a reflection on you.” She had a few too many points on her license to continue defending herself.
Jude snorted. “Oh yeah… we were. I guess I must have blocked out the trauma.”
“Lucky you. Collin’s screaming still haunts my dreams sometimes.”
“I seem to remember you threatening to drive us the wrong way onto the highway if I made one more snarky comment.”
“A vow that does not expire,” Indira said, trying to look serious but her face crumpling with giggles at the memory of their teenage dramatics.
“I believe it,” Jude said, reaching over and tugging at one of Indira’s wild curls and watching it spring back up.
Indira sucked in a breath, the gesture sobering her up. It felt as intimate as a lover’s caress, and her heart twisted in her chest as echoes of past touches played across her mind. Small ones. Innocuous.
She remembered the rough shoves as little kids. The awkward and stiff hugs as teenagers. The more affectionate one she’d given him at his going-away party—the way his thumb had gently stroked twice between her shoulder blades when he’d hugged her back.
Jude blinked rapidly, looking at her like he remembered too.
Which was ludicrous.
So,sosilly.
The ridiculousness of it was confirmed when he shifted away, getting his body as far from hers as possible.
He cleared his throat. “Ready to go in?”
She stared out the window. Mmm, not really. It didn’t feel good to go back to the place she’d tried so hard to squeeze herself into. The space where she’d labored to pretend everything was good.
But instead of admitting any of that, she said, “Yep,” and got out of the car.
CHAPTER 15
Jude
Something was seriously wrong with Jude (besides the whole emotional trauma thing).
He couldn’t, for the life of him, get Indira out of his head.
Her ridiculous jokes and raspy voice and all that softness just beneath her prickly exterior looped around in his mind, shooting odd jolts of feelings through him at random moments.
Which was all so weird. He needed to get a grip. Needed to stop getting tangled in daydreams of her curly hair. Needed to stop wanting to touch her skin that looked so soft and warm. He needed to knock it all off because any feelings this intensely persistent couldn’t be good.
Indira flipped through her keys, then jammed a gold one in the lock, turning the knob and stepping into the apartment, Jude close behind her.
And then she jerked back so hard her hair whacked Jude in the face, a few rogue strands poking him in the eye.
