Page 95 of Tuned To Break
“I love it,” she says simply. “I love that you thought I deserved this. I love that you know me well enough to choose the perfect car.”
We drive in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the ride and each other’s company. When we head back to the workshop, I can see that Stella’s still processing the magnitude of the gift.
“Jake?” she says as we pull into the car park.
“Yeah?”
“This feels like a life I never thought I’d have. A job I love. People who care about me. A man who sees me for who I really am.” She turns to look at me, and her eyes are bright with emotion. “Sometimes I can’t believe it’s real.”
“It’s real,” I assure her, reaching over to take her hand. “And you deserve every bit of it.”
“Do I, though? I was just making coffee and drifting through life. Now I’m running a business, driving a BMW, and in love with the most incredible man I’ve ever met.”
“Stella.” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “You didn’t become amazing when you started working at Doc’s. You were always amazing. You just finally found a place where people could see it.”
She blinks back tears, battling the compliment. It still floors me that someone so professionally confident can doubt her own worth.
“I love you,” she whispers. “So much it scares me sometimes.”
“Good scared or bad scared?”
“Good scared. The kind that means it matters.”
Back inside, hand in hand, I think about how much my life has changed since that night at Grumpy’s. I thought I was content with my simple existence, work, mates, the occasional meaningless hook-up. Stella showed me what I was missing. She showed me what it means to want to be better, to build something lasting, to love someone so completely that their happiness becomes more important than your own.
The guys are waiting for us when we get back, clearly eager to hear about the test drive.
“Well?” Chase asks. “How does she drive?”
“Like a dream,” Stella replies, her face glowing with happiness. “Smooth, responsive, powerful. Everything I never knew I wanted in a car.”
“Just like Jake, then,” José razzes with a wicked grin.
“JOSÉ!” Stella shrieks, her face going about the colour of her new car.
“What? I’m just saying, you seem to have a type. Fast, reliable...”
“I’m going to kill you,” she threatens, but she’s laughing.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” José calls, already bolting for the back.
Watching her chase him—heels, work clothes, laughing like a kid—I’m struck again by how perfectly she fits into our little work family. She’s professional when she needs to be, but she’s also fun and warm and completely, utterly ours.
“She’s good for you,” Arden says quietly, appearing at my elbow.
“I know.”
“And you’re good for her. I’ve never seen her so confident. So happy.”
“She deserves to be happy.”
“So do you, mate. So do you.”
As the day winds down and we pack up, I watch Stella carefully gather her things, still sneaking glances at the car through the window. She’s trying to play it cool, but joy radiates off her like sunshine.
“Ready to head home?” I ask when she steps out of her office.
“Ready,” she confirms, then pauses. “Jake?”
