“I’m just going to be blunt,” Aida continued, inching closer to me. “I know Louise and my grandma have been conspiring to get us together. It’s cute. But I also know that Louise probably told you I’m a nice girl.” Her eyes swept up and down and she licked her lips. “I’m not a nice girl, Josiah.”
I felt like a caged animal. Audrey called for Max. From the corner of my eye, I could see her as she led him inside. I wanted to run over there. Tell her this wasn’t what it looked like; it wasn’t my fault.
But I hesitated. And a second later, her door shut behind her.
I wanted to give Aida a ride about as much as I wanted a hole in the head, but I couldn’t tell her to walk. Her grandma lived off the highway south of town. Which was obviously why Louise had dropped her off. She knew I’d do it and figured a drive together might get me to ask her out.
“Let’s go,” I said, before Aida could try to give my face another spit bath. I brushed past her and went for the driver’s side while I swiped the back of my hand over my cheek, both to rid myself of the last vestiges of Aunt Louise’s lipstick and to wipe away Aida’s saliva.
Aida got in the passenger’s seat and shut her door. “Are you okay?”
No. The girl next door who I’m not supposed to have feelings for just saw me with another woman, which shouldn’t matter because I didn’t kiss her for a reason. But now I feel like garbage about all of it. “Yeah.”
“Are you sure? If you don’t want to give me a ride, I can—”
“It’s fine.” I turned on the engine and backed down the driveway.
“Sorry if I came on too strong. I just like to be up front with people. I’m only staying for another few weeks, so obviously I’m not interested in anything serious.” She paused. “I thought that might be appealing to you.”
“It probably would be for a lot of guys.”
“But not you.”
I shook my head.
“You’re kind of fascinating, Josiah Haven. You realize that, don’t you?” She seemed to expect a reply, but when I didn’t give her one, she kept going. “You’re exactly the type of guy I usually go for. Dark and brooding, averse to commitment. Emotionally unavailable but probably an animal in bed. And down to a man, they always want exactly what I want. But apparently not you.”
“Guess not.”
“What do you want?”
Audrey. I wanted Audrey.
Damn it. No, I didn’t.
“To be left alone.”
“I really want to ask who hurt you but I doubt you’ll tell me.”
“What are you, a therapist?”
“Actually, yes.”
That made me chuckle a little. “Figures.”
“Listen, I appreciate the ride and I’m sorry you got stuck with me. After I saw you at the bar, I thought I had a pretty good read on the kind of guy you are. So when Louise mentioned you, I egged her on a little bit. I wanted a shot at being alone with you and thought I could indulge her at the same time.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
She folded her hands in her lap and I hoped she was done. She wasn’t.
“But really, who hurt you?”
“No one.”
She laughed. “Come on, Josiah. We both know that’s not true. Emotionally unavailable men aren’t born that way.”
“What made you like emotionally unavailable men so much?”
“Touché.”
Thankfully, she left it at that. I didn’t really want to know.
I drove her across town to her grandma’s house. Florence lived down a gravel road that gave my shocks a workout. I stopped in front of the house, put the truck in park, and waited for her to get out.
“Thanks again for the ride.”
“No problem.”
“I won’t try to give you my number because I don’t think you’ll take it. But if you change your mind, the offer’s on the table.”
I grunted a noncommittal reply.
“Have a good day, Josiah.”
“You too.”
She got out and I waited until she opened the front door before I turned the truck around and left. My mom had drilled that into me.
Marlene, not my biological mother. If there’d been anything that woman had wanted to teach me, she hadn’t stuck around long enough to do it.
I headed back through town, fully intending to go home. I was done working for the day. There wasn’t any reason to go back to the remodel.
As for Audrey, I didn’t know what I was so worried about. She wasn’t my girlfriend. Why did I care if she’d seen me with Aida? We hadn’t been doing anything.