Mom was making Taylor some eggs when I rambled of some lie about going to Bee's to do homework. She hadn't seen the damage to the car yet and I wanted to get the car to Chambers' Motors before she had the chance.

When I pulled up to the bright yellow building, Nolan was nowhere to be seen. His dad was out front talking to one of the workers, though. He walked over when he saw me.

"Back already?" He asked as he bent down to my level.

He had the same light brown eyes as Nolan. The blonde hair, too. His was cut short, though. He also didn't have Nolan's height. Maybe he got that from his mother. The name tag on his coveralls read Billy.

Billy seemed a lot more friendly than he did the other day. Probably because I was a client and not his son.

"No, it's the mirror, actually."

He looked at it, clearly not noticing the first time. He touched it, getting a better look. "I see," he said. "How'd that happen?"

The words your son were on the tip of my tongue. That glare Billy here gave Nolan the other day came back to me. For some reason I didn't want to get him in trouble.

"Some drunk idiot knocked it off."

"Ah, those are the worst kind of idiots," he chuckled before standing up straight. "Pull into number three and I'll send someone over to help you out."

"Thanks," I called out as I pulled into the last workstation.

Five minutes later Nolan ducked his head into the driver's side window. "What'd you tell him?"

I looked over at him, taking in his disheveled hair, the bags under his eyes and the stubble on his cheeks. "You look like crap."

He wasn't amused. His hands gripped the rolled down window. "What did you say to him?"

There was a flash of emotion in his eyes. Fear? Desperation?

"I didn't tell him it was you."

He breathed a sigh of relief, the tension leaving from his shoulders. I thought our families might've been the same, but I've never been afraid of my own father. Whatever was going on in their home was beyond me. It made me feel bad for him.

"It's going to take about an hour to replace the mirror," he said, stepping back from the car.

I got out, standing in front of him. Whatever I felt last night was still lingering around, and despite my earlier comment stubble looked good on him.

What was I saying? I glanced down at the ground, regrouping before turning back to him. "And it's still free?"

He gave me a bored look. "Why is it always the people with money that don't want to pay?"

People with money? It was then that I realized  not a lot of people knew that my dad left or that he had all the money, leaving my mom with nothing but a house she can't afford and two kids to feed.

He even talked her out of getting married, saying they didn't need a piece of paper to know they were in love. I think he didn't want to get married so it'd be easier to walk out—no strings attached.

I didn't explain any of that to Nolan, though. Instead I asked, "So, that's a yes?" He nodded.

* * *

I'd been sitting in the waiting area for all of thirty minutes when my stomach started making animal like noises. They were so loud that even Allison heard them, offering me a brownie. I shook my head, sweets weren't really my thing.

I was in such a hurry to get here that I skipped breakfast. There was a few dollars in my pocket and a fast food place up the street. So, I told Allison I'd be back and left.

The restaurant was practically empty, most people opting for the drive-thru. I ordered a breakfast burrito and found a table in the corner to enjoy my food and scroll through my phone.

There was a missed text from Bee, Don't ever let me drink again 🤢

I chuckled as I tapped out a reply, Remember you said that when I'm smacking drinks out of your hand.

My eyes shot up to the door as a group of people walked in. A knot formed in my stomach when I saw one of them was the girl from the hallway—Farrah Grice, cheerleader and apparent Deshaun groupie.

It took me a while to place her face, but I remembered her. She would always giving me dirty looks when I was around Deshaun. Why was she bothering me now that Ana had him?

Her and the two guys she came in with flyers. They left a small stack of them on the counter before ordering their selves some food.

I went back to texting Bee about some random celebrity drama, when the chair across from me scrapped across the linoleum. One of the guys that came in with Farrah pulled the chair out, flipped it around and straddled it.

"You're Jade right?" He asked, leaning his elbows on the back of the chair.

I glanced over his shoulder at the other two, both of them busy with their phones. Whatever game this was, I wasn't interested in playing.

"Who's asking?"

He brow arched in question. "Wow, am I that forgettable?" He held out his hand. "Nick."

My eyes flicked from his hand to his still smiling face, unable to place it. Guard still up, I shook his hand. "Well, Nick, did you need something?"

"Just to apologize on behalf of my sister," he cocked his head in her direction.

Now I could definitely see the resemblance between them. They had the same tanned skin, black hair and small eyes. Nick's face was a little more narrow than his sister's, but they were practically twins. The other guy looked like a younger version of Nick.

"She thought what she did that first day of school was funny," he said now. Leaning in, he whispered, "Between you and me, I think she might be a little jealous. No, I know she is. She was in love your boyfriend."

A smile tugged at my lips. It was nice to know I wasn't being paranoid about Farrah. Also, that was completely unexpected. I thought for sure he was just another asshole who bought into the idea that I slept around.

"Ex," I corrected.

"Right," he nodded understandingly. "I wasn't trying to be nosy or anything, but I did over hear you two at the party last night."

A blush crept up my neck. He probably wasn't the only person to hear it. I was so pissed at Deshaun that nothing else mattered. Especially, not the people around us at the time.

My gaze shifted to the food on my tray. "Yeah, that was embarrassing."

"For him, maybe." He chuckled. "He's been telling everyone he dumped you. I'm betting that's a lie. The stuff about you cheating, too."

"It is. All of it."

"I knew it," he beamed, leaning back. "No way someone would willingly give up a girl like you."

Looking up at him, I tilted my head to the side. "That's a lot to say about someone you just learned the name of."

"I already knew your name," he said, a shy smile on his face. "Jade Harris. The girl who used to draw cartoon characters all over her notebook in middle school."

Middle school? Now I remembered. He's Farrah's literal twin, but he was only in class for a few weeks before switching schools after getting into a fight. It was all anyone called talk about for a month, spreading rumors that he was in juvie or jail.

My eyes narrowed with curiosity, a smile trying force its way onto my face. "You remember that?"

He nodded running a hand through his hair. "My favorite, though, was the one of our history teacher, Mrs. Greenwood, where you mixed her with Eustace from Courage The Cowardly Dog."

I laughed, remembering the drawing. "Well, she was a grump just like him."

He nodded in agreement. "You still draw? Maybe I can commission some art."

"Well, actually—"

A set of hands smacked down on the table. My eyes traveled up the arms, landing on Nolan's face. What the hell? He didn't look at me though. No, all of his attention was focused on a confused looking Nick.

"Uh," Nick chuckled awkwardly, briefly glancing at me before turning back to him. "We're kinda talk—"

"Not anymore," Nolan said. "Find another seat."

"Nolan!" I warned. What was his problem?

Nick surrendered, standing and putting the chair back in its place. "I guess we'll finish our talk later," he said before rejoining his sibling. The three of them left as soon as their food was done.

Nolan dropped down in the chair where Nick just was. He had to have noticed the annoyed look on my face or the fact that I glaring, but he just started digging into the burger he had.

"Are you going to explain what just happened?"

He stopped mid chew, rolling his eyes as he removed the top of his burger and picked of the pickles. "Every time," he mumbled.

When he reassembled his burger, I snatched the tray from in front of him. That got his attention. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to eat my lunch." He pulled at his tray and I pulled it back.

"You just barged in here, interrupted my conversation and chased the guy away. Why?"

He sighed, leaning back in the chair. "You shouldn't be talking to Nick."

"Who are you to tell me who I should and shouldn't be talking to?"

"Just trust me, alright?"

"Trust you?" I laughed. "You've been nothing but rude to me and now I'm just supposed to trust you?"

"I'm fixing your car for free."

"You're the one that broke it!"

He managed to get his burger back, taking a bit before saying, "It's a game."

"What?"

He sighed, tucking some hair behind his ear. "Nick, some other guys, I heard them talking about it at school one day. They're just trying to see if the rumors are true."

"What rumors?"

He swallowed another bit of burger, stalling. "That you're, uh, you know..." He couldn't get the words out, he couldn't even look up at me.

"That I'm a slut?" Saying the words was like a stab to the gut.

Nolan remained quiet as he continued his burger. My stomach twisted at the thought of a group of guys discussing me, coming up with plans to try to get me into bed with them. The fact that I was very close to falling for one of their traps.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat, pushing the sickening feeling I got down deep. Nolan finished his burger, I forced down the rest of my burrito and we walked back to the garage in silence.

//

Gotta admit, I was getting a little attached to this Nick guy while that scene

BUT apparently no one can be trusted in my stories!