Thank God it’s an automatic. I never did master my dad’s truck. It was just easier to ride my bike everywhere.

I put my seat belt on and then shift into drive. This car has power, and if I’m not careful, she’ll take over and I’ll lose control. Looking ahead, I don’t even see Harbor anymore. I drive slowly at first as I get accustomed to handling it. I stop at the stop sign at the corner and then keep rolling forward. I know the general direction he lives in, although I’ve never been there.

Scanning every street I pass, there’s no sign of him until I get a block shy of downtown. He’s sitting at a red light, waiting for it to turn green. How does that even make sense when he just stole my bike?

I don’t know why I find it funny but seeing that big guy sitting on my pale-blue bike with that white seat, a few streamers still attached to the handlebars fluttering in the breeze, puts a smile on my face. I roll up behind him, keeping enough distance to keep him free from my headlights, and then lay on the horn, which startles him so much that he almost falls off.

Upset and flailing his arms, he swings the bike around and moves into the breadth of light from the car, saying all kinds of things that I can’t hear over the music filling the interior.

The light turns green, but he stays exactly where he is. With no other cars in the area, I pull up next to him and roll down my window. “You stole my bike.”

“You stole my car.”

With the accusations thrown out, our eyes narrow as if we’re determined to win a staring contest. Neither one of us blinks. But we can only do this for so long, so I blink and let him win this round. “You left me because I called you out on that bullshit.”

“I didn’t leave you, Lark. I left the situation.”

He’s still sitting on my bike like he intends to ride it. It’s not exactly an even exchange, but he doesn’t budge or make a move to get me out of his car. I rest my arm on the door, my elbow hanging out, like I’m settling in for the night knowing I have the sweeter deal right now. “Same thing, Harbor.”

“I didn’t leave you. I swear.” His tone is as genuine as his expression. Giving up the fight, he gets off the bike and comes to the open window. Kneeling beside the car, he rests his hands on my arm. “I made the decision to honor my cousin and my family a long time ago. You may not understand why, but it was something I’ve come to terms with before ever meeting you.”

The stubborn wind leaves my sails because secretly, I like the way he feels with his hands on me like I’ll slip away if he doesn’t hang on. And because his eyes never lie to me, I believe him.