“I’ll be there in a second.”

“Thanks.” I hung up and waited for my sister to arrive.

She pulled up in front of the building and I got inside. “Don’t you have an exam today?”

She actually listened to me? “Yeah.”

“And you’re missing it?”

“My friend needed help.”

She studied me for a moment. “You’re the most selfish person I know. Who would you sacrifice an exam for besides me?”

I hated being put on the spot. “Just drive.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

We headed to the auto parts store and I got the bottle I needed. I paid for it then we headed back. Once we were back at the apartment, I popped the hood open and added the oil.

Livia studied the old truck. “You’re ditching an exam to help a guy?”

“It’s for a girl. She had to get to work.”

Livia examined the parking lot. “Ash, where’s your car?”

“She took it.”

Her eyes were bigger than I’d ever seen them. “You don’t even let me drive your car.”

I put the cap back on then shut the hood. “Well, she needed it.”

“Normally, you would tell people to walk.”

I kept my gaze averted.

“Ash?”

I wiped my hands on my jeans. “What?”

“Who’s this girl?”

“She’s my neighbor. I already told you that.”

Livia gave me a look I’d never seen before. “I think she’s a lot more than just your neighbor...”

“Go analyze someone else.” I shut the hood then headed to the front door.

“You must be hooked on her if you would do all of this for her.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

“I’m not.”

“Are you in love with her?”

“No,” I snapped. “She’s just some girl.”

“Cut the bullshit, Ash. You went over the moon for her. The only person you would ever do that for is me. Now she must be pretty damn special.”

“Leave me alone, brat.”

“You don’t actually expect me to do that, right?”

I smirked. “At least right now. I might be able to make it to finish some of the exam.”

She shook her head slightly. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” I shut the door then left the parking lot. The stereo didn’t work, the AC was shot, and it was a stick shift.

Fuck.

When I came home that evening, my car was back in its original spot. I checked the doors and made sure she didn’t dent anything. After I made sure there wasn’t a single scratch, I walked up the stairs and to her door. Then I knocked.

She answered the door a second later, the usual hostility that adorned her face absent. “Hey…”

“Hi.” I handed her keys back to her. “Your truck is as good as new. Well, as new as a beat up pickup can be.”

She took them then a small smile stretched her face. She hadn’t given me one since the day we met. “Thank you. It just needed oil?”

“Yeah. You should get it changed every three thousand miles. You can probably last until five thousand, but I wouldn’t recommend it due to the age of your vehicle.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

“Your dad never told you that?”

“Uh, no. I don’t have a dad.”

She doesn’t have a dad? “Oh…did he pass away?”

“No. He left when I was born.” She acted like she was discussing the weather.

“Oh…I’m sorry.” What did you say to something like that?

“It’s okay. I did just fine without him.”

“Yes, you did,” I blurted.

She gave me a slight smirk then returned my keys to me. “Thanks for letting me borrow your car. It was a smooth ride.”

“Sure.”

“I drove ten miles under the speed limit the entire time.”

I chuckled. “I appreciate it.”

“You like Crimson Kings?”

How did she know that? “Yeah…”

“I listened to the CD in your car,” she explained. “I like them too.”

“Oh.” We actually had something in common.

She played with her hands for a moment, fidgeting. “I really appreciate the way you helped me today. Honestly, I had no one else to call…” The sadness was heavy in her voice. “And if I didn’t get to that shoot in time, I would have been behind on my rent.”

I felt warm inside. I never helped anyone else beside myself, and I never expected it to feel good. “No problem. I didn’t mind.”

“Perhaps I misjudged you…” She looked at me with new eyes.

“No, you didn’t,” I said honestly.

Her eyes softened with humor.

“But I’m more complicated than I appear.”

“I’m starting to realize that.”

“So…since I helped you out, maybe you could help me out.” I nodded toward my apartment and winked at her.

Her smile dropped.

“Kidding.”

She relaxed then laughed. “With the promiscuous lifestyle you have, I wouldn’t have been surprised.”

I didn’t have a response to that. I was a manwhore and I wouldn’t deny it.

“I made you something as a thank you.”

“What?”

She stepped inside then returned with a dish. “Chicken tamales. I’m not good at many things, but I can cook.”

I took it with both hands. The plate was still warm. “Thank you.”

“Now you can feed your guests when they come over.” She had a smirk on her face.

Talking about all the girls at my apartment made me feel like shit. I couldn’t explain why.

“Well, thank you for everything. If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.”

“These tamales are more than enough.”

“I hope you like them.”

I stepped away and headed to my apartment. “Good night, Alaska.”

“Good night, Ash.”

I turned around when she didn’t use my real name. “Thanks.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” She gave me one last smile before she shut the door.

CHAPTER TEN

Alaska

Jace invited me over for dinner. I thought it was sweet that he wanted to cook for me, but when I arrived I realized he ordered in.

“Orange chicken?” he asked.

I didn’t understand how he had such a good body when he ate garbage all the time. “Sure.”

He handed me the plate then took his own into the living room. He sat on the couch and faced the TV. A game was on.

This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for a date. We hadn’t spent a lot of time together, and I didn’t want to eat on the couch while watching sports. I didn’t want much, just a quiet conversation and some attention.

“How’s your truck?” he asked.

“It runs fine now.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

“It’s okay. I knew you were at work.” It would be ridiculous for me to expect him to be there every time I needed help. He had other responsibilities.

“Your neighbor helped you?”

“Yeah. He saved the day.”

“Cool.” He ate his chow mien while he watched the TV.

I picked at mine, not wanting to eat it. I hated Chinese food but he never remembered. I told him that at least ten times but he either never listened to begin with, or he just didn’t remember. I hated wasting food so I ate it anyway and didn’t complain.

“How’s work?” I asked.

He leaned forward and watched the TV. “Come on, Sandoval.” He clapped his hands and kept his eyes glued to the screen.

This was getting annoying pretty quickly. I leaned back in the sofa and stayed quiet, letting him watch the game. I took out my phone and played Angry Birds a few times. I didn’t hate sports but I didn’t like watching them all the time either.

When it finally ended, he finished his beer. “Good game, huh?”

“Yeah.” I was practically falling asleep. “How’s work?”

“Fine. Nothing too interesting.”

His responses were always short. I couldn’t get anything out of him if I tried. “How’s your scrapbooking going?”

Scrapbooking? “You mean my photography?”

“Yeah.”

I hid my annoyance. “Good. Actually, I have a showcase this weekend.” My excitement grew. “I applied to sell my paintings in this prestigious gallery and they accepted me. My debut is tomorrow night.”

“Cool.” He nodded his head. “Awesome.”