she expected tonight to end?
Maybe if she hadn’t been crying her eyes out, she would have remembered to put gas at the filling station she’d spotted on her way to Monique Walker’s house.
“Dammit!” Jada said again.
She pulled up the number for AAA in her phone and dialed. She quickly hung up, remembering that she had not renewed her membership, considering it a luxury she could no longer afford. Funny how quickly a luxury turned into a necessity.
She pitched her head back against the headrest, trying to decide which of her friends would be able to refrain from shouting “I told you so” in her ear. Probably Callie.
Of course, calling Callie had its disadvantages. Ever since she’d started dating her new boyfriend, Stefan, she was nothing but sunshine and roses. It was sometimes hard for Jada to rein in her envy, which made her feel like a total bitch for begrudging her friend’s happiness.
Just as she was about to call Kiera, a car pulled up behind her.
“Oh, shit,” she murmured. She hit the automatic door locks and positioned her fingers over the keypad so that she could dial 911 if necessary. She kept her eyes on her rearview mirror, her heart pounding as the driver’s side door opened. The interior of the dark car lit up and Jada let out another groan.
“Seriously? Of all people?”
Her heart continued the rapid hammering as Mason walked up alongside her car. She pressed the down button, bracing herself for his censure as the window descended.
“Car trouble?” he asked.
“Do you stop for all stalled vehicles on the side of the road?” she asked. “How did you know I wasn’t some crazy serial killer who pretends to have car trouble to lure his victims?”
“I considered that for a moment, but I figured serial killers don’t have shiny, metallic Hello Kitty bumper stickers that you can see from a mile away even in the dark.”
“Good point,” she drawled. “And it’s not car trouble; I ran out of gas. Please , don’t tell your sister. I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“You do realize that’s one of the easier car problems to prevent, right?”
Jada rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Please, Mason. Tonight is not the night for a lecture.” She dropped her hands and sighed. “Not tonight.”
Mason reached inside and unlocked her car door. “Come on. I’ll drive you to a filling station and get a portable gas can. That’ll get you enough gas to get back to the filling station so that you can fill your tank.”
He opened her car door and the cabin was awash in light.
“Jada, what’s wrong?” Mason fell to his hunches and captured her chin in his fingers. “You’ve been crying.”
She ducked her head and wiped at her cheeks. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“If that was the case you wouldn’t have tracks down your cheeks.”
“I’m fine, Mason. Really,” she insisted, but her shaky voice betrayed her. Jada bit her trembling bottom lip, but she no longer possessed the strength to hold it all in. The dam broke again.
She dropped her chin to her chest and allowed the tears to fall with singular abandon.
She felt Mason reach over her and feel around for the keys. He took them out of the ignition, then he wrapped an arm around her back.
“Come on,” he said. “I’ll bring you home.”
“No.” Jada shook her head as she got out of the car. “Just take me to the filling station.”
“I’m not letting you drive home in this condition.”
“It’s not as if I’m drunk, Mason.”
“Crying your eyes out while you’re trying to drive is just as bad. Your car will be fine until tomorrow morning. Come on.”
Jada hesitated for only a moment before reaching in to grab her purse from the floorboard on the passenger side.
As they walked to his car, her footsteps halted.
“One second,” she said as she used her key fob to open the trunk.
She’d paid too much money for the consultant package to chance someone breaking into her car and
Maybe if she hadn’t been crying her eyes out, she would have remembered to put gas at the filling station she’d spotted on her way to Monique Walker’s house.
“Dammit!” Jada said again.
She pulled up the number for AAA in her phone and dialed. She quickly hung up, remembering that she had not renewed her membership, considering it a luxury she could no longer afford. Funny how quickly a luxury turned into a necessity.
She pitched her head back against the headrest, trying to decide which of her friends would be able to refrain from shouting “I told you so” in her ear. Probably Callie.
Of course, calling Callie had its disadvantages. Ever since she’d started dating her new boyfriend, Stefan, she was nothing but sunshine and roses. It was sometimes hard for Jada to rein in her envy, which made her feel like a total bitch for begrudging her friend’s happiness.
Just as she was about to call Kiera, a car pulled up behind her.
“Oh, shit,” she murmured. She hit the automatic door locks and positioned her fingers over the keypad so that she could dial 911 if necessary. She kept her eyes on her rearview mirror, her heart pounding as the driver’s side door opened. The interior of the dark car lit up and Jada let out another groan.
“Seriously? Of all people?”
Her heart continued the rapid hammering as Mason walked up alongside her car. She pressed the down button, bracing herself for his censure as the window descended.
“Car trouble?” he asked.
“Do you stop for all stalled vehicles on the side of the road?” she asked. “How did you know I wasn’t some crazy serial killer who pretends to have car trouble to lure his victims?”
“I considered that for a moment, but I figured serial killers don’t have shiny, metallic Hello Kitty bumper stickers that you can see from a mile away even in the dark.”
“Good point,” she drawled. “And it’s not car trouble; I ran out of gas. Please , don’t tell your sister. I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“You do realize that’s one of the easier car problems to prevent, right?”
Jada rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Please, Mason. Tonight is not the night for a lecture.” She dropped her hands and sighed. “Not tonight.”
Mason reached inside and unlocked her car door. “Come on. I’ll drive you to a filling station and get a portable gas can. That’ll get you enough gas to get back to the filling station so that you can fill your tank.”
He opened her car door and the cabin was awash in light.
“Jada, what’s wrong?” Mason fell to his hunches and captured her chin in his fingers. “You’ve been crying.”
She ducked her head and wiped at her cheeks. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“If that was the case you wouldn’t have tracks down your cheeks.”
“I’m fine, Mason. Really,” she insisted, but her shaky voice betrayed her. Jada bit her trembling bottom lip, but she no longer possessed the strength to hold it all in. The dam broke again.
She dropped her chin to her chest and allowed the tears to fall with singular abandon.
She felt Mason reach over her and feel around for the keys. He took them out of the ignition, then he wrapped an arm around her back.
“Come on,” he said. “I’ll bring you home.”
“No.” Jada shook her head as she got out of the car. “Just take me to the filling station.”
“I’m not letting you drive home in this condition.”
“It’s not as if I’m drunk, Mason.”
“Crying your eyes out while you’re trying to drive is just as bad. Your car will be fine until tomorrow morning. Come on.”
Jada hesitated for only a moment before reaching in to grab her purse from the floorboard on the passenger side.
As they walked to his car, her footsteps halted.
“One second,” she said as she used her key fob to open the trunk.
She’d paid too much money for the consultant package to chance someone breaking into her car and
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