Page 24 of Searching for Nova

“I got it,” she says, going around me to the passenger’s side. I’m right behind her and open the door. Nova looks back at me. “Do you always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Open doors for a girl?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I didn’t know guys did that anymore.”

“I grew up watching my dad open doors for my mom and thought it’s what you’re supposed to do until some girl yelled at me for it.”

“She yelled at you for opening her door?”

“Yeah, but most girls don’t. If it bothers you, I won’t do it.”

“I don’t mind.” She gets in the Jeep and I close the door, then walk around to the driver’s side and get in.

“So what do you want to do?” I ask as I take off down the street.

“Get out of these disgusting clothes. Some kid threw pancakes at me and now I’m covered in syrup.”

“How old was this kid?”

“Two or three. He didn’t mean to do it. He was just playing with his food and some of it landed on me.”

“Maybe you should get another job.”

“I can’t,” she mutters.

“Why? There are plenty of places you could work that are closer to where you live. When I dropped you off yesterday, we passed three fast food places that are only a block from your building. Why don’t you work there? You could walk instead of spending all that time on the bus.”

“I’m not getting a new job. Just drop it.”

“But—”

“Easton, I mean it. Stop telling me what to do or this afternoon is off.”

She seems angry, but why? I was just making a suggestion, trying to save her from having to spend an hour on a bus every time she has to work. I don’t get why she works there. She doesn’t like the job and it’s not close to her apartment.

I keep quiet, and remain quiet for the rest of the drive.

When I pull up next to her building, she jumps out. “I’ll need about ten minutes.”

“You sure you don’t want me to come in?”

“No, just wait here.” She takes off, racing into the building.

Pulling around to the parking lot, I find a spot and park. I shut off the engine and look through my phone, assuming it’ll take Nova more than ten minutes to shower and get dressed. I don’t know any girl who can get ready that fast. It takes Paris a half hour just to change clothes.

Speaking of Paris, she sent me eight texts since I left my house to pick up Nova.

We need to talk about last night,the first text reads. The rest are just variations on that, saying how I don’t know how to communicate and if I’d just talk more we could work out our problems. It’s all stuff she’s said before, and stuff I’ve tried to fix, but not to her satisfaction. Whenever I try to talk to her, she interrupts me and tells me what I’m saying is wrong. So now I just don’t say anything, which leads to her saying I don’t communicate. I can’t win with her. I don’t know why I keep trying.

A text pops up from Nova.It might be longer than ten minutes.

How long do you need?I text back.

Probably a half hour. You can just go. Thanks for the ride home.

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