Denver
“How’s it look?” Something about the mechanic’s expression confirms what I suspected before he even has to say a word.
He shakes his head, wiping his greasy hands on an already greasy rag. “I hate to tell you, but it would be smarter to buy another car.”
Odis winces. “That bad, huh?”
“We’re talking at least six, maybe seven thousand in repairs.” Right, and the car itself wouldn’t sell for more than a few hundred bucks even if it ran. I doubt we could give it away.
This was a possibility we discussed before making the call to the mechanic at the dealership. They sent a tow truck over to the mall and hauled the car in, and we’ve spent the past hour waiting in a so-called lounge while Jake went over the damage. I don’t know what my favorite part was—the molded plastic chairs or the brainless infomercial on the television mounted in the corner. I lost track of how many times I wished I’d brought my earbuds.
I look at my brother. “What do you think?”
“It doesn’t look like we have much of a choice.” He turns to Jake. “Keep it for whatever parts you can get.” We already cleared out what little was inside before Jake put the car up on the lift, so there’s nothing left to be done.
Nothing besides figuring out what to do now.
If Gemma were any other girl in the world, there would be no question. We’d pick out a car for her, pay for it and take it home. She would be grateful that she now had a way to get around, in a car she could be confident about. No crossing her fingers when she turned the key.
Unfortunately, we’re talking about the most stubborn girl who ever drew breath.
I understand a lot of where she’s coming from. I almost wish I didn’t since it’d be easier to deal with her if I couldn’t see her side of the story. I would buy her the car because she needs it. If she refused, I could call her ungrateful and write her off as an ignorant bitch.
Not Gemma. She can’t let go of the way things used to be. She believes we see her the way Chelsey described her, as a gold digger. Trash who doesn’t deserve the time of day.
It’d be bad enough if we weren’t part of the reason she’s so down on herself. If she didn’t trust us because some other random person fucked her over in the past. It’s like we have to fight twice as hard to get through to her.
But she’s worth it, so we walk around the dealership, deciding which car she’d most likely accept without throwing a huge fit. Part of me wants to blow her mind with a Mercedes S-Class, something in the six-figure range if only to watch her eyes bulge before she flat-out refuses it.
That would only end up being a waste of time, of course, which is why we end up in the section where the A-Class sedans sparkle like they just got washed and waxed. “She can’t be too pissed about this, can she?” I place a hand on the roof of a cherry-red model, bending to look inside.
“She’ll be pissed over anything we do.” He’s still irritated over Gemma throwing him out of her room this morning. I’m surprised he even told me about it since it’s not the kind of story where he came out looking good. As far as either of us are concerned, we’ve done nothing but try to take care of her. It’s not our fault she’s hell-bent on making it difficult.
I’m not used to this whole business of having to think about another person’s feelings. I don’t normally give a shit what anybody thinks. If they can’t deal with their feelings, it’s not my problem.
Which is why I’m completely at a loss here. What more does she want from us?
It doesn’t take long to complete the purchase. They know us around here, and the fact that we’re paying in cash speeds things up a lot. We flip a coin to see who’ll have the honor of driving it home. Turns out, it’s my lucky day.
I don’t feel so lucky when I pull up in front of the garage, though. Gemma’s out there with her mom, looking furious. I’m surprised she doesn’t tear the door open. “Where’s my car?” she demands. “We went to the mall and called a tow truck for it—”
“And it wasn’t there.” I offer Linda an apologetic smile as Odis pulls up behind us.
Gemma notices him. “Why’s he driving your car?”
“Because I drove us to the dealership, and I won the coin toss to see who’d bring this home.” I pat the hood, glancing at Linda again. “Surprise. Your new car.”
Linda claps her hands to her cheeks. “You bought Gemma a car?”
“She needed it.” Odis joins me, eyeing Gemma the way I am, waiting for her to lose her shit. Maybe she won’t so long as her mom’s around. “We had it towed to our dealership, and the mechanic said the repairs would be around six or seven grand. Way more than the car was worth.”
“We cleaned it out for you before buying this one. Your stuff’s in my trunk.”
Dad comes out, whistling when he sees the car. “Where’d this come from?” Linda fills him in while Gemma inspects her new wheels. She’s either not as pissed as we guessed, or she’s working hard at hiding it.
“This is a generous gift,” Dad observes. “But Gemma’s worth it. I know I’ll sleep better knowing she has a reliable car.” Linda beams up at him in that lovey-dovey romantic way. I manage not to gag, but barely. At least I know they’re both on our side.
“Gemma?” Linda prompts. “What do you think?”