Jagged Harts, page 7
It doesn’t take me long to finish up in the store and check out before I head back to my car. When I step out of the store, I pass by a guy in his early 20’s playing guitar while he sits on the curb. It looks like he is homeless. His hair is scruffy and greasy, his clothes are rumpled and stained and the bags under his eyes tell me that he hasn’t slept well in God knows how long.
I pause and hang back a few feet away from him as I listen to him play. While he is strumming, his rough voice begins to sing. The song is hauntingly beautiful, talking about the choices you make in life and how to move on when you know it is too late.
I knew a lot of good people back home who made one bad choice and ended up on the streets. Some didn’t even make a bad choice. Life had just dealt them a shitty hand and they couldn’t get back on their feet. One thing we all seemed to have in common, we are survivors. Fighters. You get knocked down you get back up until you make it to where you want to be.
People walk past him without a second glance, like he is just background noise. Don’t people see what kind of talent and potential is sitting right here in front of them? He is a person who is trying to make something of himself. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and wasting away at the bottom of the bottle or a needle he is here, giving what he can in exchange for a chance to turn things around.
I reach into my wallet and grab every single dollar that I have left, not bothering to count it before I drop it into his case, which was previously empty. I bought enough stuff to get me through my next paycheck anyways.
He stops playing suddenly when he sees the cash fall into his case before he whips his head up to me, astonishment splashed across his face. I give him a small smile and lean down before I put my hand on his shoulder. He flinches away for a moment, like he is used to every touch causing him pain.
I know the feeling.
“I’m Aubrey,” I say softly.
His eyes search mine for a moment before he gives me a small nod. “Seth.”
The guy’s voice is raspy and worn, it’s clear he hasn’t been able to take care of himself the way he should be able to.
“Nice to meet you, Seth.” I pause for a second. “I was where you are just a couple of months ago. It gets better, man. Keep fighting.”
I expect him to get pissed off at me trying to relate to him. Or maybe embarrassed that I am acknowledging that he is down on his luck. It isn’t an easy thing to go through, especially in front of strangers. Instead of all that though, tears fill his eyes as he bites his lip and gives me a short nod. He looks away quickly and brushes at his eyes casually.
“Thanks,” he croaks.
I give him another smile before I stand back up and head to Betty. It’s the little things in life that can make you realize how far you have come. I can practically still feel my stomach twisting in pain from hunger more times than I could count growing up. The musty smell of our run down trailer that used to make me nauseous from the moment I stepped through the door still fills my nose at unexpected times. I am just thankful all of that is nothing more than a memory now.
When I am about ten miles away from campus, it starts to rain. The sky begins to darken as the rain gradually increases. I glance through my windshield to see that the clouds that are rolling in look black and ominous. It must be one of those southern storms that I have heard so much about.
I don’t even finish that thought before Betty starts making this horrible sputtering noise. My stomach drops to the floor as panic fills me. My eyes swing down to see that my heat gauge is in the red. Does that mean the car is too hot? I hear a loud pop as steam starts billowing out from under the hood. Well, that’s not good.
Betty instantly slows down to a practical crawl. I am barely able to steer her to the side of the road before she finally gives out.
“No, no, no, no, no!” I slam my hand against the steering wheel before I rest my head against the back of my seat. Fuck.
I can’t afford a tow truck, let alone a shop, especially after I just gave all my cash to Seth. Really Karma? I decide that I really have no other choice. I have to get Betty home on my own. Looking out the window, I see that the rain has now picked up to a steady down pour.
Heaving a rough sigh, I flip up my cotton hood and make a break for the trunk where I keep a few tools. I am not sure how to use them or what they should be used on, but I will figure that out later. The rain batters against me, soaking me in an instant. I grab the first thing that I see in my bag of tools which is a crescent wrench. Maybe something needs to be loosened? Or tightened?
I make my way to the hood with less urgency than before, seeing as I am already completely soaked to the bone. When I pop the hood, more steam billows out causing my situation to really sink in and force me to realize how utterly fucked I am. A car drives next to me slowly as if they are reveling in my misery. I flip them off and turn back to stare at my car, as if I can intimidate her into starting or at least telling me what the hell I need to do to fix her.
“Aubrey? Are you okay?” A voice calls out.
I tighten my grip on the wrench for a second before I recognize the voice. I see an old school mustang is now pulled over on the shoulder just ahead of me as Dax jogs over with his hood up.
“Dax?” I stupidly question. Of course, it’s him. I would recognize him anywhere.
When he comes up beside me, he is looking back and forth between me and Betty.
“Car problems?”
I let out a humorless laugh and shake my head as I look up at the sky briefly before looking back to Dax.
“Yeah, guess so. I’m not sure what happened. I think it got too hot and let out a lot of steam or something.”
He tries to muffle a laugh as he softly shakes his head. “What? You don’t know a lot about cars, do you?”
“I know you put gas in it to make it go, and you have brakes to make it stop. And every year or so I put a quart of oil in it.”
His eyes widen for a second before he shakes his head.
“I’m not even going to comment on any of that.” He moves around me to get a better look under the hood, which is still billowing steam. “Have you called a tow yet?”
“Ah, uh no. I can’t really afford it. I was hoping to just patch her up and get her back to campus at least.”
He shakes his head at me, a surprisingly remorseful look on his face.
“I hate to break it to you, short stuff, but this thing isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Not unless it’s hooked up to a tow truck.”
My heart falls at his words. I knew that was the case but having someone else say it out loud makes it so much worse. He must see the panic and heartbreak on my face. He turns and looks out across the darkened wet road for a second before turning back to me.
“I have a buddy who owes me a favor, he drives a tow truck. I can have him take it to whatever shop you want him to drop it off at? Lou’s is really good place.”
“Yeah, I don’t really have the finances to take care of something like that…Could he maybe just drop it off at campus? I will try to figure it out from there.”
I bite back the emotions that are beginning to flood me. The gravity of my situation is starting to weigh down on me and I honestly have no fucking clue what I am going to do. Dax looks at me for a moment as if contemplating something before he speaks again.
“Well, how about I take a look at it? I am a pretty good mechanic, restored my baby myself,” he says, gesturing to his car.
“No, that’s okay,” I answer quickly.
He rolls his eyes and raises his voice to speak over the rain which has now become even heavier. Can rain be heavier than a downpour? Because right now it definitely is.
“Don’t be stubborn. You need help and I’m offering. If I can fix it, I will. You buy the parts, alright?”
I look at him skeptically. No one is nice for nothing, what is he playing at? Honestly though, am I even in a position to argue regardless? Reluctantly, I nod my head.
“Alright, let me give you a ride to campus and I will call my buddy.”
“Okay, let me just grab my stuff.”
“You go. I’ll grab your things,” he says as he shoos me towards his car.
If I wasn’t shivering from being drenched, I might protest. Instead, I practically run to his car. I am immediately greeted with the smell of leather with a hint of mint, most likely from the smooth black seats and the pack of peppermint gum in the center console. I don’t know much about cars, but I know that this must be a classic and has been taken care of as one. I glance over to the back seat, finding myself wondering how many girls have been back there.
Why would I even waste my time wondering that? The number is probably too high to count.
Dax jumps into the car quickly, snapping my attention forward once again. He sets my purse and bags at my feet before starting the car and cranking up the heat, turning all of the vents towards me before he turns back on to the road. A funny feeling spreads across my chest at the small seemingly natural gesture. I am pretty sure I don’t like it.
After a few minutes of silence, I blurt out, “Thank you for this. You didn’t have to help me. I know we don’t really like each other but I appreciate it.”
He raises that single stupid fucking eyebrow at me as he splits his attention between the road and me.
“I don’t dislike you. Though I am sure you can’t say the same.”
A laugh escapes me before I can push it down because honestly, he isn’t too wrong. Ever since we sparred at the gym, I haven’t outright disliked him, except for when he pulled that hero bullshit. Looking back now I feel like I may have overreacted a bit. He is probably just used to damsely girls that need saving. That just isn’t me though. In this fairy tale, I save myself.
“I don’t dislike you when you mind your own business,” I say with a shrug as I stare out the front windshield.
Dax barks out a rough laugh that has my head whipping over to him. A full smile is spread across his face as his shoulders shake. Damn, if I thought that smile at the gym was good this one is knock you out cold good. He doesn’t even look like the surly brawler that I have come to know.
“That doesn’t sound overly warm. So, are you saying that I should just toss your ass out of my car and let you solve your own problems then?”
I frown at his words before crossing my arms. Well, when he puts it like that…
“I’m kidding,” he says with a slight laugh. “I’m happy to help.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why?”
He opens his mouth to speak but hesitates. His brows furrow as he looks out the window before shaking his head.
“Not really sure, honestly. This is a first for me.”
Not knowing how to respond to that, I choose to stay quiet. To my surprise the silence doesn’t feel awkward at all, it almost feels natural which weirds me the fuck out. He has been really helpful and surprisingly nice today. He is right. If he would have listened to all of my ‘mind your own business’ talk then he could have left my ass stranded on the road, but he didn’t. I try to remind myself that this is the same asshole that I have had nothing but problems with ever since coming here but he is making it kind of hard right now.
Soon we are pulling up to campus just before he puts the car into park.
“Well, give me your number and I’ll let you know when your car makes it to my place. Then I can let you know what we are dealing with.”
I narrow my eyes slightly. “Was this all an elaborate ploy to get my number?”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Short stuff, you are hot as fuck, but I am not hard up for pussy by any means. Don’t flatter yourself.”
I give him a short nod, feeling oddly pacified with that answer before I take his phone and punch in my number.
“Thanks again, really. I appreciate it.”
He nods and though he isn’t smiling, he isn’t scowling either which is basically the Dax Hart equivalent of a smile.
“No problem.”
I give him a quick wave before I hop out of the car and make a run for my dorm. After a scalding hot shower and a warm cup of tea, I change into a dry pair of pajamas and pop in a movie. I have gotten really ahead in almost all of my classes, so I don’t have to worry about any homework, thankfully. Soon, I find my eyes drooping just before I drift off to sleep, the last thing that I remember seeing when I close my eyes is the image of a man with sharp green eyes and surly scowl on his face.
CHAPTER
NINE
AUBREY
The next morning, I am woken up by a text. I look at my phone bleary eyed to see that it’s from Dax.
Dax: Your car just got here. You sure you don’t want to just scrap it? I think the poor thing needs to be put out of its misery.
Fucker. Betty is a great car. She just needs a little TLC and some money put into her. Unfortunately, I don’t have tons of extra money at the moment, so she will have to settle with my love. How can he even suggest scrapping her?
Me: Betty has always been reliable and has taken great care of me.
Dax: Until now.
Me: Shut up. Just let me know when we are tearing into her.
Dax: We?
Me: Yeah. I want to learn what’s wrong and how to fix it. Then if something like this ever happens again, I can get myself out of the situation and I won’t need help from anyone.
Dax: You really hate relying on other people, huh?
Me: I’d rather gouge my eyes out than willingly depend on someone.
Dax: Seems extreme but I get it. Alright, I am gonna tear into it now. Come by whenever. 425 Park Lane, second driveway all the way down.
Me: On my way.
I peel myself out from under my toasty warm blankets and get ready before I order a ride. About half an hour later, I am pulling up to a garage in the back of someone’s property. Maybe this is Marcus’s place?
Getting out of my ride, I walk towards the open garage door, hoping I am at the right place. If Dax sent me the wrong address to fuck with me or something I will murder his ass. As I make my way inside the garage, I spot Dax quickly tossing a beer bottle into the trash. He is wearing a pair of oil-stained jeans and a beat-up white t-shirt. Even like this he still looks sexy as sin, but you’ll never hear me admit it out loud. I am sure the hordes of women he entertains blow up his ego plenty as is.
When he sees me in the doorway, I notice his gaze skates over me from head to toe. I look down at my outfit and shrug. I am only wearing my leather jacket hoodie and a pair of jeans with my chucks. A far cry from the usual primped and polished outfits I see the girls he is with squeeze themselves into.
To his credit, instead of looking disgusted by my lack of fashion sense he almost looks like he is admiring me. Like I am so brave to come see this dude without caring what he thinks. I can’t help but scoff at the thought of that.
“Hey,” I finally say, dropping down onto a bar stool and setting two coffees and a box down on the table.
“Krispy Kreme?” He asks, raising his eyebrows with a disapproving look.
“Breakfast of champions,” I retort.
“Yeah, well, I don’t eat that shit.”
“Good. They aren’t for you. I brought a coffee for you but keep your meaty paws away from my breakfast.”
I reach over and open the box of doughnuts before I pull one out. I am mid bite when I see Dax has his mouth slightly parted in shock. What is his deal? I only got half a dozen.
“Are you seriously going to eat all of those?” His tone is one of disbelief and it instantly pisses me off.
I scowl at him after finishing one and shove him to the side.
“Hey. Don’t fat shame.”
He throws his hands up in surrender as he shakes his head.
“That’s not what I meant. I am just surprised that you can eat all of that and still look the way you do.”
My eyes are still narrowed on him as I cock my head to the side.
“And how is that?”
He shrugs and answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Hot.”
Dax is just another womanizer, his opinion of me shouldn’t matter. So why did my heart stutter for a moment when he said that? Nope, not going down that road.
“So, you ready to dive in?” Dax asks, effectively breaking my inner monologue.
“Yeah, let’s do this.”
After a couple minutes of poking around to get an assessment, he sighs heavily and runs a hand down his face.
“Well do you want the good news or the bad news first?”
“Good.”
“Well, the good news is that I am a badass mechanic.” I give him a derisive snort and stare at him, waiting for the rest. “The bad news is that your car is a piece of shit.”
“Hey!” I interject. He chuckles lightly and holds up a hand so I will let him continue.
“So, you need all new fluids, obviously. Your alternator is about to go out, your tires are bald as hell and your brakes are almost metal on metal. I can’t believe this thing was running at all, but the thing that effectively killed Billy-”
“Betty,” I snap.
“My apologies, Betty, was a blown head gasket. To fix that, I am going to have to rebuild the engine.”
I cringe. “Is that expensive?”
My voice is meek, probably for one of the first times in my life. I am already mentally calculating how much disposable income I have and trying to figure out a way to scrape up the funds to patch Betty back together. Spoiler alert, it isn’t looking good.
Dax shrugs as he buries his hands into his pockets and leans against Betty.
“Nah. I am pretty resourceful. I’ll do it for as cheap as possible.”
“Why are you doing all this? I mean, it was the decent thing to do not leaving me on the side of the road in the middle of a storm, but you could have left it at that. Why did you have my car towed and are now offering to do all the work for free? What’s in it for you?”
“You know, short stuff, sometimes people do things just to be nice. No ulterior motive.”
