Page 53 of Ice Darling
I cough, my face so hot, I could spark an engine.
Voice raspy, Renthrow says, “Convincing, right?”
I choke out a word that might be a yes, might be a no, might be a “please touch me again.”
He watches me, another amused smile touching his lips.
When I’ve gotten my bearings, I mutter, “Do you really think this is a good idea?”
“I don’t play about my daughter, Miss Davenport. Gordie is my entire world.”
That a blind man could see.
“As much as you help me,” Renthrow promises, “I’m going to help you ten times more.”
Chapter Nineteen
Cordelia
I wake up the next morning to the sun shining on my face through the one small window in my living room.
My head feels clearer than it has in weeks, and I stretch leisurely, savoring that in-between of consciousness and sleep.
Then my eyelids flutter, and I shoot to a sitting position.
Why is the sun in my face? I always wake up around 4 a.m. The sun is never out when I open my eyes.
“What time is it?” I scramble to get my phone from the nightstand and blanch. It’s eight-thirty.
I rush through my morning routine, jump on my bike, and tear a path to the garage. As I arrive, I toss my helmet haphazardly at the handlebar and run under the main tent.
April and Rebel are already there, working on their cars.
I stop in front of them, out of breath and panicked. “I’m sorry I’m late. I overslept and didn’t set an alarm and…”
“Delia, breathe.Breathe,” Rebel coaches. “You’re here before either of us most days, and you’re the last to leave. You’ve earned a day or two of sleeping in.”
“We saved you a donut,” April says, nudging a box at me. It’s from Phil’s Donuts. Phil bakes, arguably, the best donuts in the entire state.
“Chocolate?”
“That would require us to have a level of discipline neither of us possess,” Rebel states.
I chuckle. My bosses aren’t angry with me, which proves they are way better bosses than I was. If anyone in my office back in the city had been late to work, there would have been consequences.
April’s eyes search mine. “You look better today. More rested.”
Ifeelmore rested.
After Renthrow offered to be my fake boyfriend, I ran upstairs to wish Gordie goodbye and left. I wasn’t sleepy at all when I got home, so I pulled out my notes and got to studying my waveforms.
I have no idea when I fell asleep, but I got a solid eight hours in, which is unheard of for me.
“Thanks. I feel better too.”
April is the first to retreat to her side of the garage, but Rebel sticks around.
She scoops her long, blond hair into a ponytail, smiling at me. “Did you solve that problem with the throttle position sensor?”
