But before I could think on it any further, I felt that same growing sensation starting behind my eyes. My vision started to shake as the pounding my head grew, and I took deep breaths to try and abate my stress levels. I squeezed Bryan’s hand, concealing it as love for him, so he wouldn’t worry about me getting another headache.
Though I had to admit, they were now starting to worry me.
“Here we are, beautiful,” Bryan said. “Your own personal gallery of art.”
“Thanks for the ride,” I said.
“Would you like me to pick you up after work?” he asked.
“I mean, my car’s still here. I have to drive it eventually,” I said.
“Well, why don’t you drive that car on over to my place then once you close down tonight.”
“Sure. Want me to pick up dinner along the way?”
“Sounds good to me.”
I leaned over and kissed him, losing myself in the warmth of his lips before I drew a deep breath through my nose. I reluctantly opened his truck door and slid out, reopening my gallery while people were standing outside. For the last four hours of my day, I sold over six hundred dollars in paintings, and by the time I went to lock up, I was absolutely ecstatic.
But I soon had to call Bryan and ask him to come pick me up anyway because when I went to crank my car, nothing was happening.
Of course, something else would crap out just as my life was being put back together again.
Chapter 25
Bryan
“I’m so sorry,” Hailey said as she got into my truck.
“No need to be sorry. I brought jumper cables. Want to give it a go?” I asked.
“Not really,” she said, sighing. “I’m hungry, and I’m tired, and I just want to go home.”
“Back to my place or back to yours?” I asked.
“My place, if it’s not too much of a disappointment.”
“Want to still pick up dinner?” I asked.
“I’ve got some stuff we can heat up there. I just want to lay down in my bed.”
“I can make that happen.”
I reached over and took her hand as I pulled us out of the parking lot. Hailey’s car was incredibly old and only a couple of years away from being a complete rust bucket. She needed a new car definitely, but even though the gallery was doing well, I highly doubted it was doing new car well. I drew comforting circles on top of her skin while we cruised through town, and I tried to drive a little under the speed limit to give her enough time to breathe.
One thing I’d found out about Hailey over the past few months was that she enjoyed watching the city slowly roll by. It was peaceful to her and relaxed her somehow, and I wanted to give her enough time to relax any way she needed.
We sat in silence the entire way to her apartment. Every once in a while, she sighed one of those deep, heaving sighs that moved even her stomach. I wanted to tell her it was going to be okay. I wanted to tell her that I could easily switch the battery out. I wanted to tell her I would buy her a new battery or, hell, that I’d buy her a new fucking car.
But I knew what she needed right now was a distraction.
She’d been through a lot over the past few weeks. Anna coming into town and crashing with her, us talking and rekindling things. The vandalism on her art gallery and finally telling John’s story to the world. She was under a great deal of stress from the emotional rollercoaster
she’d been dragged onto, and all I wanted to do was try to make things easier for her.
All I wanted to do was make her feel good again.
I pulled my truck into her parking lot, but for some reason, it was completely full. There was thumping music and lights pouring from a window in the apartment below hers, and instantly, I heard the stress creep back into the sigh she let out.