Chapter 9: Unexpected help
lla pounded the steering wheel in frustration, the sputtering of her aging car echoing through the near-empty street. The rain started slow—fat drops that splattered against the windshield like warnings. She turned the key again, praying for a miracle. Nothing. Just that dreaded clicking noise.
"Of course," she muttered bitterly.
She stepped out, groaning as her worn-out sneakers landed in a puddle that immediately soaked through. She popped the hood, knowing full well she didn’t know what she was looking at. Steam hissed out, mingling with the misty rainfall now falling faster.
"Perfect," she muttered again, arms wrapped tightly around herself as her coat clung to her drenched frame. Her umbrella, broken weeks ago, was still in the backseat, mocking her.
She cursed under her breath, the weight of everything suddenly hitting her like a brick wall—her mom’s hospital bills, her father’s cold dismissal, Ryan’s unpredictable mood swings. And now this. She was tired. So damn tired.
A sleek black car pulled up beside her, its presence almost eerie in the quiet downpour. It wasn’t just any car—it was the kind of car that cost more than her mother’s entire medical debt.
The passenger window lowered slowly.
And there he was.
Nicholas.
His expression unreadable but eyes fixed on her. That same knowing glint played behind them, amused and curious.
"Get in," he said, his voice calm but firm.