Nate keeps his mouth shut and continues driving. He pulls around a corner which is when I see it. “Is that my car?” I question as we get closer.
“Yep,” he grunts. “I’m sick of watching you destroy it.” He pulls up beside it and slides his hand into his pocket before handing me my car keys. “I’m teaching you how to drive.”
Chapter 13
I stare at Nate in shock before my eyes flick down to the keys in my hand. How the hell did he get my car keys? I don’t have to think about it long before I remember the way Jesse had dived into my locker with such ease that anyone would think it was his.
The second I get back to school, I’m changing the code. I may as well work out how to change the code on my front gate at home too. That might help me to avoid getting kidnapped by Nate in the near future, though, I’m sure he’ll find a way.
Nate opens his car door, ignoring my shock and looks back at me. “Are you coming?” he grunts with impatience before getting out and walking over to my car.
I narrow my eyes on his back before letting out a huff. I don’t think I have a choice in the matter. I get myself out of his car and walk around to mine while hitting the unlock button on the keys.
Nate gets in my passenger’s side while I get myself comfortable in the driver’s seat. The second I close the door behind me, the nerves settle in. I don’t like this one bit. It’s one thing for me to drive alone and allow myself to work it out, and it’s another to have to do it in front of Nate Ryder.
“You good?” he asks as he looks across at me.
I nod my head as everything I’ve taught myself about driving this thing has completely turned to mush with Nate sitting beside me.
“Start the car,” he tells me. “Put your foot on the break and the other on the clutch.” I let out a breath as I do what I’m told and start the engine. “Release the hand brake.”
I do that and swallow back the fear of embarrassing myself. “Alright,” he says, using a tone that, for once, isn’t making me want to smack him. “The car’s already in first gear, so after you come off the break, you have to give it a little gas while also coming off the clutch.”
He uses his hands to demonstrate how I should slowly press the gas while coming off the clutch. I turn back to face what I’m doing and try my best to tune him out. I find my hands clenching down around the steering wheel and decide to go for it. I mean, it’s either now or never.
I come off the break and scramble around while trying to remember what the hell he just told me. The car lurches forward and promptly dies in the ass. “Shit,” I groan while an amused smirk comes over Nates face.
“That was too fast,” he tells me. “You need to find the sweet spot.”
“The sweet spot?” I grunt.
“I’ll show you,” he says. “Start it up again.”
With a groan, I start up the engine, making sure to put my feet on the clutch and brake. “Come off the break,” he tells me. I look at him with wide eyes. “Relax,” he says. “We’re on a flat. The car isn’t going anywhere.”
“Ok,” I say slowly before doing as he asks.
“Alright, now come off the clutch just a bit,” he says.
I do as I’m told and release the clutch just a little when I feel the car respond. It almost feels as though it’s talking to me, telling me it’s ready to go. I come up a little higher and the car screams at me to lower the clutch again. I do just that and I instantly get it. “That’s the sweet spot.”
“Mmhmm,” Nate says. “Once you find that, then you can go.”
An hour later, I drive up and down the length of the parking lot like a pro. Before I got in this thing, I was terrified of it, but now, I feel giddy with excitement. I change gears and push my little R8 faster. “Shit,” I laugh. “I bet I could whip your ass at the races.”
Nate scoffs and I see him shaking his head out the corner of my eye. “No chance in hell,” he says. I hear a smile in his voice that pulls deep within me and has butterflies circling my tummy. I find I really like it, though. I mean, it definitely beats him scolding me and being a prick.
I pull up beside his Camaro and look over at him. “Thanks,” I say with a smile.
“Trust me,” he says with his signature attitude. “I didn’t do it for you. I couldn’t stand seeing you treat this thing like shit.”