Page 103 of Suits and Spark Plugs

“I agree with you, so don’t shoot me a dirty look when I say this, but I don’t think Connor knows what to do with all the emotions you bring alive in him.”

“That was super cheesy.”

“Deal with it.” She pursed her lips. “I’m saying that the tire iron thing scared him really bad, but you hadn’t exactly admitted you liked each other, and he didn’t know how to react or what to do.”

“Fine. What about the other night? I really messed up what I was trying to say, and believe me, I have replayed that conversation in my head a million times, but the fact still remains that he reacted before hearing me out. Then the ice man showed up.”

“Didn’t he say something about not spending his life proving he’s worth sticking around for?” I nodded. “His mom left him, Liv. His mother. Now he loves this new woman, maybe for the first time in his life, and he hears her saying something that sounds like he isn’t going to be enough to keep her here, and he overreacts to that. Didn’t you do the same thing to Blaine when he tried to make you into his plastic Barbie doll wife?”

“Yes, but I went home and thought about it first. I didn’t break up with him on the spot.” I bowed my head over the table and closed my eyes as I processed what she was saying. There was a lot of truth there, and my heart ached even more at the thought of Connor feeling like he was expendable to me.

“I have to talk to him again,” I said. “Try to say the things I wanted to say the other night. I can’t just let him walk away from me.”

She put a hand on my forearm and squeezed. “Good. I’ll bet he’s feeling as mopey as you are. So, after the shift today, go to the grocery store and buy him some apology meat. Then, take it to the shop and lock him in that office until he agrees to eat your meat, and only your meat, for the rest of your lives.”

“Great idea.” I sat up straight and nodded my head. “I can do this.”

“Do you want to practice on me so that you don’t choke again?”

“How’s this: Connor, you stupid oaf, I was trying to tell you the other night that I want to adjust my future plans and create something new with you.”

“Sounds good. Just make sure you throw in something about how temperamental and unreasonable he was being. People really like to hear that.”

“Smart. I’ll lead with an insult.”

“Definitely do, because making up is the best part of any argument.” Kelly stood and shot me an exaggerated wink as she went to tie on her apron and pull up her hair. “You going to make it through this shift, or am I going to be doing double duty?”

I stood and went to my locker to retrieve my own apron and change into my work shoes. “I think I can manage.”

“Good.”

In the end I only got yelled at once by Jake and twice by a customer. Pretty good for a woman with her head buried firmly in the automotive shop down the street. I made it through my shift and hustled out as quickly as possible when four o’clock came around. My stomach was in knots as I pulled out of the diner and came to a stop at the one light in town. As predicted, I hadn’t been able to eat all day. The grocery store was the opposite direction of Mainstreet Mechanic, but I liked Kelly’s idea of showing up with some steaks. It would hopefully make him laugh and break the ice . . . and I desperately wanted the ice to be broken.

The light turned green and I proceeded forward, visions of Connor’s amber eyes smiling at me and his low voice quietly telling me he was sorry too. I was so distracted thinking about a blazing hot makeup kiss that I didn’t notice the car running the red light on my right side. The car slammed into me, and I slammed into the door with enough force to make my head spin in time with my car. When the rotation was complete, I was facing back in the direction of the diner. My head was pounding, small white lights twinkling in my vision while I blinked slowly to try to get rid of the blurriness. I heard voices yelling, and then a man poked his head inside the passenger window that had been broken upon impact.

“Liv? Is that you?” It was Mr. Matthews, a neighbor of mine. He was wearing his trademark ball cap, and his white mustache moved up and down when he talked.

“Yeah,” I groaned.

“You okay? Can you move?”

“I...” I wiggled my toes and fingers, but a shooting pain raced up my left arm when I attempted to move it, making the stars reappear and my head swim while my stomach dipped. “My left arm. I think something’s wrong.”

“Hold still. We’ve called 911. Help is on the way.”

“What happened?”

“Some kid ran the red light just as you were getting into the intersection. Didn’t even slow down. Must have been doing thirty at least.”

Nausea burned up my throat and I closed my eyes, wishing it back down. I would not humiliate myself by throwing up all over the place. I took a few deep breaths, my lips quivering from the pain and adrenaline. I could feel a little trickle of warm fluid running down my face and reached up with my right hand to find that I’d cut the left side of my forehead as well. It didn’t seem to be a large cut, but head wounds are bleeders.

“Mr. Matthews?” I called when I felt like I had a handle on things.

“Still here.”

“Please call my mom.”

“Sure thing.”

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