“You’ll see. Jump in.”
I slid into the passenger seat, ignoring everyone who was watching us like we were the local entertainment. I was surprised her car was still in one piece considering her family’s usual way of dealing with irresponsible driving.
“They didn’t blow up your car?” I asked as she climbed behind the wheel and shut the door.
“They think I’ve been punished enough. I crashed, wrecked the Supra, and learned my lesson,” she said lightly, and I couldn’t help the snort that left me.
“Did you though? Won’t you miss it in a few weeks and end up right back where you started?” I didn’t bother hiding my annoyance. If she wanted to repair the damage between us, she needed to understand how important her safety was to me.
She started the engine as she shook her head, turning her attention ahead of us so she could leave. “Turbo’s not hosting them anymore, and I won’t race for anyone else. We’ll just have to race on the track if I can convince my family not to kill him.”
“Really? No more street racing?” I repeated as relief hit me to make sure I’d heard her right. “Promise?”
“I promise, baby,” she murmured, giving me a small smile before putting the car in gear and easing out of the parking lot, heading towards her house.
We didn’t talk much on the short drive, just being content with each other’s company, but I let out a low whistle as we pulled into the driveway and I saw a baby blue Supra by the garage. It was similar to the one Riley had just lost, but it looked like a newer model.
“Damn, who got an upgrade?”
She parked, unbuckling her seat belt before opening the door. “You did.” Then she climbed out and shut the door behind her, leaving me sitting here in stunned silence.
After a moment, I snapped out of it and scrambled out of the car, following her towards the shiny, new car.
“What the fuck did you just say?”
She smirked, taking my hand as we got closer. “Knocked your socks off that hard, did I? You’re cursing.”
“That’s not my car,” I sputtered, trying to wrap my head around it.
“Sure it is. I picked it myself,” she said proudly, fishing a set of keys from her pocket and dangling them in front of me. “Go on, get in and check it out.”
When I didn’t move, she took the keys to unlock it, guiding me around to the driver’s seat and encouraging me to sit down. “So, you like?”
“Riley…”
“C’mon, just take it. I gave you my other Supra, and I wrecked it. I can’t have my girl taking the bus,” she joked, and I looked up at her with wide eyes.
“This would’ve cost a fortune.”
“So? You’re worth it,” she said seriously, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “It’s partially a gift, as well as an apology for being a bitch. I can’t return it, so you have to keep it.”
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, running my hands over the dash. “Thank you.”
“Do you want to take it to the track for a spin? It’s fast,” she said with excitement, but I shook my head.
“Not right now. I want to go inside so we can talk.”
Her face fell a fraction, but she tried to cover it up with an eye roll. “The track sounds like more fun.”
“Talking’s an important part of a relationship. If you want one, you need to meet me in the middle,” I answered, getting out and locking the car. “Even if it makes you uncomfortable.”
She grumbled but followed me inside, and she surprisingly took me straight to her bedroom and shut the door behind us so we could talk in private. I thought she’d try to get out of it.
“What can I do to fix this?” she asked the moment we were sitting on her bed, devastation flashing across her face. “I know the car won’t. I’m not trying to bribe you with it. If you decide you still don’t want to fix it, I understand.”
“I think we just need some time to heal. I hated that you didn’t put my concerns first, but I also know that it wasn’t fair of me to make demands and put you on the spot like that,” I replied honestly, her shoulders relaxing at my words and making me realize just how tense she really was.
“The reason why I needed to finish the races was because, in most car clubs, it's practically law. Once you’re in, you’re in. Part of me saying that was my own selfishness though,” she said softly, crossing her legs and pulling her hood over her head. “Turbo would’ve let me out, I knew that, but I wasn’t ready to go.”