“No! I mean … just let it go. Stop treating me like a child who needs a chaperone. I don’t need someone watching me anymore. I didn’t come here to have you or your friend watch me. I came here to be with you. Now you’re gone, so I’m on my own. And that’s fine. I get it. But don’t think that Fisher is your replacement.”

After a long pause, she cleared her throat. “Okay. You’re right. Just … be careful and text me when you get home, so I know you made it back safely.”

“Fine.” I huffed while ending the call.

College was starting to sound better and better, even if I had no clue what I would study if I got there. At least my life would have felt like mine. Mine to succeed. Mine to fail.

I marched past Fisher’s driveway to Rory’s Outback parked on the street. Without giving him a single glance, I tossed my backpack in the back seat and slipped into the driver’s seat. Turning the key, nothing happened. I tried again. And again, nothing happened. Not a single sound.

“Are you kidding me? Dear Lord, please let this car start.” I tried one more time.

Silence. Not one peep like the engine was making a single effort to turn on. I’d just driven it to church and back. God wasn’t answering my prayer that day.

After reaching around and snatching my backpack from the back seat, I made the walk of shame past the driveway.

“Battery’s dead. I’ve been telling Rory for weeks she needs a new one. I’ll drop a new battery in it tomorrow after work.”

I glanced over at Fisher using a squeegee to remove the water from his clean garage floor. “I can call someone.”

“Or…” he shook his head and grinned “…you can call someone on your own.”

I sulked toward the side of the house.

“I’m going for a ride on my motorcycle. Want to come along?”

“I’m sure my mom would think riding on the back of your motorcycle is a terrible idea.”

“Probably.” He hooked the squeegee on the wall and grabbed a towel to dry his hands. “That’s why we won’t tell her.”

“Like you didn’t tell her I was going into the mountains?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t know it was a secret.”

“I’m going to work on my crossword puzzles.” I ducked my head and kept walking.

“I’m going to shower. I’ll be leaving in fifteen minutes. If you’re going, change into jeans.”

“Have fun,” I called back with virtually no sincerity.

Chapter Eight

After depositing my bag onto my bed, I made myself a sandwich. Ten minutes later, with half of my sandwich gone, I eyed the time on my phone.