Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
It’s not a surprise when they don’t return. For a moment, I stand frozen in place, unsure what to do. Even if I jump in my car and take off after them, there’s no way I’ll be able to track them down. They’re long gone. And it happened so fast.
If I call the police or campus security and fill out a report, I’m not even sure what I’d say. I don’t know the make or model of the truck. And it was dark in color but was it blue or black? Or dark gray?
I’m not sure.
Fuck.
“That really sucks.”
Startled from my thoughts, I swing around, only to find Asher hunkered down, inspecting the damage.
My gaze fastens onto the back end of the vehicle. I was so intent on finding the culprit, this is the first time I’m taking a good look at it. I can’t help but wince. Even though it didn’t feel like a hard hit, the bumper is totally smashed in.
I drag a hand over my face, unable to believe this actually happened.
“Did you by any chance get the license plate or see what kind of truck hit me?”
He glances up before shaking his head. “No, sorry. I’m parked a few rows over and was just walking by. Maybe you should talk to campus police and see if there are any surveillance cameras that caught the accident.”
I nod. That’s a good idea. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
As his gaze holds mine, unwanted electricity zips through my veins before settling at the bottom of my belly. Just as quickly as it flared to life, I quash it. I don’t want to feel whatever this strange energy is that ignites whenever we’re together. If I had my way, I wouldn’t feel anything at all where this guy is concerned.
His hand rises to stroke the light shadow that covers his jaw. “I’m gonna hazard a guess and say that it needs to be towed.”
“What?” My shoulders sink under the crushing weight of that statement. “Are you being serious?”
He grips the tread of the tire before giving it a good shake. My eyes widen when it wiggles, looking as if it might fall off. I don’t know much about cars, but I’m pretty sure that’s not supposed to happen.
This just keeps getting worse and worse.
I thread my hands through my hair before glancing up. Even though it’s chilly, the sun is shining brightly in the vast stretch of cornflower blue sky. It takes everything I have inside to fight down the emotion that is welling in my throat and not burst into tears. I have no idea how much a repair like this costs, but it certainly won’t be cheap.
It never is.
Most of the time, it feels like I’m on the cusp of drowning. I’m barely able to keep my head above water. And this expense will only suck me down further. It’s so frustrating to bust my ass and never get ahead in life.
Asher’s gaze swings to me as he straightens to his full height. “It shouldn’t be a huge problem. Just more of an inconvenience. It’s not like you don’t have insurance,” there’s a pause, “right?”
My teeth rake across my lower lip.
When I remain silent, his deep voice rumbles. “Lola?”
“Don’t you mean taco girl?” I say absently, unwilling to focus on the disaster in front of me or how I’ll pay for it.
His lips quirk at the corners. “I wasn’t looking to get junk punched this early in the morning.”
I huff out a reluctant laugh before answering the question. “Yes, I have insurance. But my mom was in an accident a month ago and it was her fault. They’ve already raised our rates. Since there have been a few others within the past couple of years, they sent a letter warning that if there’s another, they’ll cancel the policy. So, I don’t feel like I can report this.”
The longer I study the wheel, which is now bent at an odd angle, the more I realize that Asher’s assessment is correct. There’s no way I can drive this home. It’ll have to be towed and fixed. Which means more money I don’t have flushed down the drain.
A suffocating silence falls over us as those dark thoughts circle viciously through my head before he clears his throat, drawing my attention.
“I have a buddy who’s a mechanic. I’ll give him a call and see if he can tow your car to his shop. At the very least, Declan can look at it and give you an estimate.”
“I don’t know,” I mumble.
Asher Stevens is the last person on the face of this earth I want to accept assistance from. God only knows what he’ll expect in return. Even the thought is enough to frighten me.
He hikes a brow and shifts his stance. “Do you have any other ideas? You can’t just leave it here or the university will tow it away and then you’ll have to pay to get it from impound. Trust me, it’s not cheap. It happened to me in Pittsburg. Worst fucking weekend of my life.”