Page 35 of Always Love You More

I know the kind ofmotivationI’ll have to help deliver if they don’t. And since Marcus is coming with me, there’s no getting out of it. He’ll report back to my father if I don’t follow through.

When I slide into the passenger seat of Marcus’s car, he looks over at me. “You ready?”

“Yes,” I lie.

Yesterday was a shitshow.

Only one of the five names had the money they owed.

I hate who I have to become in those situations. What I have to be when my father or Marcus is watching. How easily it comes.

Pushing through the front door of the garage, all those thoughts leave my mind when my eyes land on Billy. He has a wide smile on his face as he leans his elbows on the reception desk.

I stop when I see who he’s talking to.

Sam.

I knew she would probably be here today. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since Johnny asked Luke yesterday.

It’s already past noon, so she’s likely been here for a while. I was training this morning with my old man for the fight I have in a few weeks. It was hard to keep my head in it, thinking about seeing her again.

I’ve never met a girl who’s stayed in my mind like she has. I keep telling myself that I must be holding onto an idea of her, that I can’t possibly feel this strongly about someone I’ve only met once. But as I come up to the desk, her eyes flick up to mine and I know it’s more than just an idea.

When she looks at me, I feel something. I don’t know what it is or why I feel anything at all. I just know I do.

“Hey,” she says.

I tip my chin up at her. “Hey.” Looking between her and Billy, I ask, “How’s it going?”

“Good,” he says. “My dad trained her on the basics this morning, but it’s been slow, so we’ve just been hanging out and talking.”

Talking? What have they been talking about?

“I see what you mean,” Billy tells me.

Sam glances between us. “What are you talking about?”

“Jameson said you were cool.”

“He did?”

“Mmhmm.” Billy nods. “And he doesn’t think anyone’s cool.”

She leans back in her chair and puts her feet up on the desk. “Well, I’m honored.”

I snort, and Billy snaps his head in my direction.

“So,” Sam starts, “Billy says he’s working here this summer. Are you?”

I run a hand through my hair. “I’ll be around.”

Her lips purse before she evens out her expression. “You don’t work on the cars?”

“Sometimes I do.”

How I spend the rest of my time sits between us.

“There’s a hangout tonight at the park,” Billy says, redirecting the conversation toward something lighter. “You wanna go?”