Page 114 of With Us

I sighed, checking the time again. “I have to leave or I’m going to be late. Since I don’t have time to wait for a ride, Ben is driving me. Or someone can tell me where the other Rover is.”

Luc moved next to Ben, his eyes dropping to the keys I held and then out the door.

“I’m not driving that,” I stated firmly.

“I know things have been… crazy lately,” he said, the understatement of the century. “But the new car isn’t a bribe or anything. Theo bought it a couple weeks ago to surprise you with. It just took some time for it to be ready.”

His words seared into me, a painful reminder of how sweet Theo was, and how torn apart I felt.

I shook my head, clarifying, “It’s not that. Distracted, sleepy, and running late doesn’t have me at my prime. Truthfully, even at my prime, I suck at figuring out new things. All those buttons and settings are not my friend.”

From what Theo had told me, Luc was a tech genius. He looked confused, and a little disbelieving, at my inability to figure out a simple car.

I held my phone out to him. “I still haven’t figured out how to do more than make calls, text, and check my email on this thing. Every time I try to log in to Facebook, it gives me an error message.”

He grinned at me. “Ride with Ben today. When you get home, I’ll help you get the Rover set.” He glanced down. “And your phone.”

Perfect time to put my plan into action.

“Thanks.” I raised my brows in wonder, rotating the phone slowly. “I heard they’ve got the interweb on these things now.”

His laughter followed me out the door.

???

People knew.

I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it, but pictures had been posted that day on different news sites of me and Theo’s family at the trial. I was steering clear of any and all news, and wouldn’t have known, had some customers not brought it to my attention.

A small group of college girls who came in occasionally stood in front of me, pretending to be figuring out their orders. Their focus was more on me than the menu board, though.

I waited patiently.

“Umm, were you on the news?” one of them finally asked after being shoved forward by one of her friends. “For your boyfriend’s trial?”

Nodding, I touched the screen on the menu. “That was me. What can I get you all? We have an iced rocky road blended coffee special today.”

Not taking the hint, she continued. “Your boyfriend is like a mega hottie.”

She’s not wrong.

“But he’s also totally, like, a hero,” she added.

That took me by surprise. Of the bit I’d caught, the general consensus was people were siding with Theo.

But ‘hero’ was a bit dramatic, even if it wasn’t all a giant lie.

Which it was.

“The loser he hit used to come into the club we go to, creeping on all the girls. He got banned after he…” She shook her head. “Anyway, he can’t go there, but he started going to all the other bars and clubs near campus. He’s a serious tweaker. We all feel safer now.” Smiling, she added, “And that special sounds so good. I’ll have a medium.”

The rest of the girls placed their order, chatting about the start of the semester. When I swiped the last card and handed the cups over, they started out the door.

“I’ll… I’ll be right out,” one of the girls said to the understanding nods of the others. They headed outside, leaving just the two of us. Probably an inch or two taller than me, and a year or two younger, she looked intimidated as she opened her mouth before closing it again.

“Did you need something else?” I asked gently.

“For the first time sinceithappened, I can leave the house without feeling like I can’t breathe. I’m not looking over my shoulder a million times. Can you tell your boyfriend I said thank you?” All emotion left her voice. “I hope that animal never wakes up.”

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