Page 134 of A Better Place

He finishes texting and places his phone on the counter next to me, screen side up. He reaches over to me and pulls me close. He nuzzles his face into my neck and starts kissing me while his hands roam up and down.

“Is that what we are, beautiful?” His lips never leave my skin. “Just friends?”

“Hmm,” I hum.

“You sure are friendly.”

“Mm-hmm,” I say, words not being able to form, his mouth causing the best kind of distraction.

“Carly.”

“Yeah?”

“You gonna let me help you buy a new car today, baby?”

“Anything you want, James,” I tell him, realizing much too late what I just agreed to.

“Perfect,” he says, standing up and walking away calm as can be.

Meanwhile, I’m wound up tighter than a top.

“That’s not fair!”

He swats me on the ass. “All’s fair in love and war, baby. Get ready. Jack’s meeting us at the car dealership.”

“He what?”

“He’s of like mind, recognizing your car for what it is. The size of a Matchbox toy.”

“Apparently y’all are gonna gang up on me the rest of my life?”

“Aw, my words are rubbing off on you. And yes. Yes, we are. Get used to it.”

“Fine. I get Lily then.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, beautiful.” He kisses me on the top of the head before disappearing into the bathroom. I hear the shower turn on, and he pokes his head back out. “Baby. Come on. I think we need to conserve some water,” he smirks.

For the next twenty minutes, we conserve water then get ready.

An hour later, we’re heading down the stairs to the parking lot behind James’s restaurant when he stops dead in his tracks. I look up at him in question and follow his gaze. The front driver’s side tire of my car is deflated. As in, completely flat.

“Did I run over a nail or something?” I ask him, though I know that’s probably not the case. I know exactly where his mind is going. And judging by the fact that he’s looking around the parking lot, I’m right, and he’s worried it was the work of Vince.

“Don’t know, baby. You have a spare?”

“Yeah,” I tell him and swallow past my nervousness.

“Hey, c’mere.”

I walk to him, and he pulls me in, rubbing up and down my arms.

“Do you think…”

“Not gonna think it, baby. You’re with me, got it? I got you. No worries. Let’s change the tire and get outta here.”

“Okay.” I nod.

He makes jokes while he puts on my spare, and I know he is trying to decrease the tenseness we no doubt both feel. Less than ten minutes later, we’re in my car, heading to the car dealership, the jokes still coming about my Tinker Toy. I roll my eyes at him and tell him to buckle up.

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