Page 136 of The Kissing Booth
But there was nothing I could do about the fact she was gone; I’d accepted that years ago. I could miss her and want her back so bad it hurt, but I couldn’t actually do anything about it. And I got that. There was no use in crying over her when crying wouldn’t bring her back.
But I think they were shocked when I grinned and clipped the watch around my left wrist. It was cold and heavy, and it hung kind of loose, but I loved it.
‘Thanks, Dad.’
He smiled, his face showing a mixture of emotions. The sadness in his eyes; the happiness in his smile; the relief wiping away the small frown on his brow. But then he took something else out of his pocket – another small black velvet box. It was different to the one the watch had been in: there was no gold clasp and the hinges weren’t visible either.
‘Is this the matching earrings?’ I joked.
‘No – that’s this year’s present. Technically the watch is overdue...’ He laughed, shaking his head as if trying to banish the sadness. I smiled and took it.
And actually, I did half expect matching earrings.
It was the right shape for them, after all.
But it wasn’t earrings. It wasn’t any kind of jewelry.
‘You got me a... key?’ I picked it up, dangling the keychain off my fingertip and frowning at it. Then it clicked. ‘Ohmigosh! You got me a car!’
Everyone laughed, obviously knowing beforehand or, in Lee’s case, getting it before I did. I leaped up, tackling my dad with a massive hug.
‘Thank you thank you thank you thank you!’
He laughed. ‘You haven’t even seen it yet.’
‘Yeah, it could be some crappy, beat-up piece of junk that stalls every time you hit a stop sign,’ Noah joked.
‘It’s parked in the garage,’ June told me. ‘We had to hide it somewhere you wouldn’t see it, didn’t we?’
I ran outside, heaving up the garage door with a grunt.
Behind me I heard them all filtering out of the house. The garage was kind of dark; the floor was stained with oil, and Noah’s tools were scattered around everywhere. Lee’s bicycle was propped against the wall. There were footballs and soccer balls, and random pieces of old or broken furniture.
And right in the middle of it all was my birthday present.
It was a second-hand Ford Escort. It was midnight blue, and there was even a pair of neon-pink fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror.
‘The dice were my idea,’ Lee’s dad said. ‘Just for the record.’
I laughed, giddy, leaning in the open window on the driver’s side. The inside smelled of pine and old leather. It didn’t look like it would run like a dream, with a silent purring engine, and I wouldn’t be shocked to find myself waiting on roadside service at some point.
But I loved it instantly.
I didn’t expect my dad to get me a brand-spanking new car. I didn’t want one, either. I wanted something I wouldn’t be afraid to drive. I was never the best driver. But I finally had my own car!
‘I won’t have to bug you for a ride all the time now, Lee,’ I told him.
‘Well, I’m not riding with you,’ he quipped, his voice grave. ‘I value my life too much, thank you very much.’
I laughed and went to give my dad another hug. ‘Thank you, I love it!’
‘I know she’s not the best, but you can start off with this old girl. She’ll take a few knocks and dents, no problem.’
‘Doesnobodytrust my driving skills?’
Everyone laughed at that, and then Brad said, ‘All right, all right. Is it time for cake now?’
As if on cue, mine and Lee’s stomachs rumbled in tandem, and we said, ‘Most definitely,’ before racing each other inside.
