Page 130 of Just Between Us

I don’t step forward to take them. In fact, I don’t move at all. I’m rooted in place, speechless, staring between Austin and the new vehicle in the driveway. “I also paid for a year of insurance,” he adds when I don’t say anything.

My voice finally finds its way back. “That’s mine?” I ask, pointing to the SUV that is very clearly a gift meant for me.

“That’s what I’m telling you.” He gives the key fob another hopeful shake. “You needed it.”

I still don’t move to take the keys. “I don’t drive yet,” I say.

It’s true. Riding as a passenger is hard enough. The first time I tried to drive Liam’s truck into town, my hands shook so badly I couldn’t even get the key in the ignition. Eventually, I had to swallow my pride and ask Liam to drive me instead.

“You will, angel,” Liam says, close beside me now. He smooths a hand down my back letting it settle around my waist. “I’d put money on it. You’re more like yourself every day.”

This is also true. PT is going well enough that they’re already talking about graduation. My head is also clearer with each passing day. I’ve even taken some of my easier clients back, though I can only handle two sessions a day for now. But still, it counts. It’s mine again.

Austin is still smiling that megawatt smile that has gotten him out of trouble his entire life. A year ago, hell, just a few months ago, I would have pushed the keys back at him and said something about trying to buy my love. But standing here now, looking at my brother shifting nervously, excited to do this for me, I see it differently.

Austin isn’t trying to buy anything. He’s just my big brother. And this shiny SUV with the over-the-top bow, is his way of smoothing out the road ahead for me the only way he knows how.

Crossing the porch, I wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze tight. “Thank you, Aussie,” I say, my face buried against his shoulder.

His arms come around me in a tight hug and I lean into the embrace, grateful to have so many people rooting for me.

“Anything for you, baby sis.”

“Okay, so…” Austin opens the driver’s side door with the energy of a car salesman ready to make his pitch. “Keyless entry. All you need is the fob on you.” He drops the keys in my hand and gestures for me to get in. “See what you think.”

Liam climbs in the passenger side while Austin gets in the back, leaning between us.

“All right, start her up.”

I look at the steering wheel and the dash, then back at Austin. “How?”

“Ah, I’m so glad you asked. All you do is tap the brake.” With only the tap of my foot, everything on the dash comes to life. “You guys hear that? She’s so quiet. No engine noise. You just plug her up like a phone. Now check this out. You can change the lighting.” Austin reaches for the touchscreen that’s as big as an iPad and begins tapping buttons. “Orange, purple, blue, yellow. It has like, thirty colors or something.” He continues changing the colors one by one.

“Austin.”

“I’m almost done. I just wanted you to see them all. The red is really pretty. And look at this green.”

Liam lets out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cough, and I have to bite back my smile. Austin is like a kid showing off his new toy, loving every second of this demo.

Taking a second, all I do is look around at the interior. It smells new in a way I’ve never experienced firsthand. My first car, a 1997 Nissan Sentra I bought for twelve hundred dollars’ cash, smelled like fast food and the previous owner’s cigarettes for the entire eight years I drove it. I ran it till the wheels fell off. Literally. It died on the side of the road and one tire rolled right off the wheel and into the median. After that it was the bus, Uber, or Alan’s car when he felt generous enough to offer it.

This car smells likemine.

“Wanna take her for a spin?”

Yes. No. I don’t know.I swallow hard and look down the gravel driveway, where I know beyond that is the highway, cars flying past.

“I—” My hands find the steering wheel and I wrap them around it, just to have something to hold onto.

Both of them give me time to decide, which I appreciate.

“Yeah. Okay.”

Austin removes the giant bow from the hood and hops backin to show me how to put it in reverse. When I ease off the brake, the car rolls back so silently for a second I’m not sure we’re moving at all. I shift into Drive and grip the steering wheel.

Gravel crunches soft under the tires while I creep slowly down the drive. We pass Liam’s parents’ house right as my nerves kick up. In another hundred yards or so we’ll reach the highway. My pulse quickens the closer we get, but I manage to make it maybe ten more feet and ease us to a stop.

“I think that’s all for today,” I say quietly.