Page 94 of Tuned To Break
I see her wavering—practical nature wrestling with obvious desire for the beautiful car. She walks towards the car and runs her fingers over the bonnet with something like reverence.
“It’s red,” she says quietly.
“Jake’s suggestion,” Arden admits. “Said it matched your personality.”
She turns to me and the look on her face tightens my chest—surprise, gratitude, and something deeper. The recognition that I know her well enough to choose the perfect colour.
“You did this?” she asks.
“Arden did this,” I correct. “I just helped with the specifics.”
“I helped,” Chase adds. “Team effort.”
Stella looks around at all of us—her chosen family, her work crew, her support system. When her eyes find mine again they’re bright with unshed tears.
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispers.
“Say you’ll accept it,” Arden encourages. “Say you’ll stop trying to keep that Corolla running with prayer and stubbornness.”
She laughs—music that always makes my heart skip. “Gertrude’s not that bad.”
“Stella,” Parker says seriously, “last week you had to hit the dash three times to get the radio working.”
“And the air con only works if you jiggle the handle,” Rhys adds.
“Plus, it makes that weird grinding noise when you turn left,” Robert chimes in.
“Okay, okay,” she laughs, holding up her hands in surrender. “So she’s seen better days.”
“So?” Arden prompts, dangling the keys. “What do you say?”
She takes a deep breath, looks at the car one more time, then faces us. “I say… thank you. All of you. For this, for believing in me, for making me feel like part of a family.”
The cheer that goes up from the group could probably be heard three blocks away. Stella takes the keys with shaking hands and unlocks the car to explore the interior.
“Leather seats,” she breathes, running her hand over the upholstery. “And it smells like… new car.”
“Take it for a test drive,” I suggest. “See how she handles.”
“Will you come with me?” she asks, and warmth floods my chest.
“Try and stop me.”
Inside is as impressive as the outside—clean lines, modern tech. Stella adjusts the seat and mirrors with the care of someone handling something precious. When she starts the engine, the purr makes her moan.
“Oh, this is beautiful,” she says, easing out of the car park. “So smooth. So quiet.”
“Good acceleration too,” I point out as she merges into traffic. “V6 engine, rear-wheel drive. She’ll handle well in all conditions.”
“You really helped choose this?”
“Arden asked what you’d like. I said you’d appreciate quality engineering over flashy extras. Something reliable but not boring.”
“And red because it matches my personality?”
“Red because you’re passionate about everything. Fierce when you need to be, warm when someone needs comfort. Red felt… right.”
She glances at me, something soft in her expression that makes me want to tell her to pull over so I can kiss her senseless.
