Page 16 of Forsaken Hearts
Just like the night he walked out of her bedroom.
He looked toward her car, then back at her. “I’ll make sure your car starts.”
Her throat clamped enough that she almost hated him for it because this was exactly the kind of thing he did. He wasn’t punishing her for breaking things off. He was just here to make sure she was okay.
He stepped aside, and she edged past him, holding her breath because she knew one whiff of his cologne would shove her off the end of sanity. She unlocked her door, and he waited while she got in.
Before she could duck fully inside, he reached for her.
Summer froze, heart pounding.
He brought one hand up to the side of her face, warm despite the chill in the spring air, and he lowered his lips to her forehead.
The kiss was soft, brief and so careful it hurt worse than anything he could have said.
She closed her eyes before she could stop her reaction.
He let her go.
Summer slid into the driver’s seat, body begging her to climb back out and make a mess of every decision she’d fought to uphold.
She turned the key, and the engine coughed once before it caught. Vander stood there until the car idled. Her eyes burned as she battled to keep from looking at him as she pulled out of the parking space and headed toward the road.
When he walked back toward a lone black truck in the corner of the lot, her headlights panned over him.
She made it ten feet.
The steering pulled hard to the side, and the car gave a low, ugly dragging noise that made her stomach drop.
“No, no, no, no.”
She eased off the gas, but she already knew what was wrong before she came to a stop. She could feel it in the way the car lurched, and that movement meant money and time and another problem stacked on top of a day already piled high with problems.
She put the car in park and climbed out. She walked around to the passenger side to see the flat tire sagging nearly to the rim.
Ofcoursethis would happen when she was alone and had already sent Vander away.
She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, fighting the sting in her eyes.
Footsteps crossed the gravel behind her, and suddenly he was at her side, not asking why she stopped—he already seemed to know.
He crouched beside the tire, his shoulder brushing her leg as he looked at the tire.
“Yeah. You’re not driving on that.”
Summer stared down at the brim of his hat concealing his face and his strong hands prodding the tire like he could pump it back to life.
He pushed out of his crouch. “At least the car’s out of the way. Do you have a service to cover the tow? If not, I’m sure I can borrow a truck—”
She shook her head. “I have coverage through my insurance.”
He gave her a single nod. “Will you let me give you a ride home? No strings. Just making sure you’re okay.”
Her throat burned on all the things she wanted to say to him.
And how badly she wanted to let him stay.
Chapter Four
