He didn’t answer immediately, because I probably caught him off guard with the pure randomness of my question.
I flushed and squeezed down on the steering wheel. “I... I was just wondering about it. So I thought I’d ask. Sorry.”
“No. No, it’s cool.” When I peeked at him, he was staring out the windshield. “Razorback Garage is about a block or so from where I live. So I saw the owner—Drew—often. We talked whenever we crossed paths, you know? Sometimes I would hang out at the garage, because they had this detailer who did amazing work. Anyway, about a year ago or so, I got busted for tagging—unrelated to the school thing.”
“You get...caught a lot,” I said, turning right.
“Ha. Yeah. Apparently. Anyway. Drew ended up hearing about it. So when I saw him again, he asked me to show him some of my stuff. And I did. He liked it. Thought it was pretty cool. The rest is history.”
I slowed for another stoplight. “That’s really...amazing.”
“I’m lucky,” he replied, grinning then. “Drew pays me pretty good.”
“Because you’re really good at what you do,” I told him.
The dimple appeared. “I could, um, show you some of my work at the garage if you want? I mean, it’s not that exciting and you’d probably like to do something else, but—”
“I’d love to.” My heart was tripping over itself.
His dimple hung around for that.
“Do you...save the money from working?” I asked.
“Nah. I spend it all on liquor and girls.”
I shot him a look.
Rider chuckled. “Yeah, I save the money. I’m eighteen, going to graduate in May. Need to be looking toward the future. Got to get a place. The checks will stop coming in and even though I know Mrs. Luna wouldn’t kick me out, it isn’t right. She’ll have to bring in another kid.”
At the library, I pulled into the parking lot and searched for a space. “What about college?”
“Ah, I don’t see that in my future to-do list.”
“Why?” I didn’t understand. “You’re...really smart. College will probably be a breeze for you.”
He shifted in the seat. “I don’t know. That costs money, Mouse, and I’m not saving up that kind of money.”
“But there are scholarships and grants.” Finding a parking spot near the back, I eased in and turned off the car. I looked over at him. “What about that?”
A muscle flexed along his jaw. “Yeah, I know, but...I just don’t see it in my future. I mean, hell, people would probably fall over dead from shock if my ass ended up in college.”
I frowned. “I wouldn’t.”
He glanced over at me as he unlocked his seat belt and his grin tipped up a notch. “You’ve changed. A lot. But there are still things about you that are the same.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
Rider reached over and unhooked my seat belt. “You’ve never seen what everyone else sees when it comes to me,” he explained.
Now I was just confused. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You think— I don’t know. That I’m something that I’m not.” Stretching behind him, he grabbed my bag off the backseat. “You see me as a white knight.”
What in the hell?
I watched him open the car door and climb out with my bag in hand. Frozen for a moment, I snatched my keys out of the ignition and hurried after him. “I don’t think you’re a white knight.”
Rider cast me a long side look. “You’re pretty much the only person who thinks my name and college go together in the same sentence.”
I had to pick up my pace to keep up with his long legs. “That’s stupid.”
He eyed me warily as he opened the door. “It’s whatever.”
“No, it’s not.” I stopped inside the set of doors and stared up at him. He was suspended in motion, reaching for the main entrance. “You could do college if that’s what you wanted. Your name and college...make total sense together.”
His gaze lifted to the ceiling as his lips pressed together. What felt like an eternity passed before he said, “Huh.”
That was it?
Rider walked into the library, and after a moment I followed him. He went right up to the circulation desk and we lucked out since there was only one room available. As we walked through the tall, stocked stacks, I breathed in deeply, loving the scent of books. A memory wiggled loose.
I curled onto my side, knees tucked to my chest. Tears had dried on my cheeks. Tonight had been bad. Mr. Henry’s friends were over and I knew they wouldn’t be leaving for a while. The room was cold and dark and the ratty blanket was so thin. I huddled down, shoving my hands between my legs to keep them warm.
The door cracked open and a slight form slipped inside. I let out the breath I was holding. Rider crept toward the bed. I scooted over, against the wall. The mattress shook as he settled in beside me. A second later a soft yellow light flipped open. The small flashlight wouldn’t draw attention.
Rider brought his knees up, pressing his against mine as he took a deep breath. “There was once a Velveteen Rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid.”
Drawing in a sharp breath, I looked up at Rider and for a moment I saw him in the past. “Do you remember reading to me?”
He nodded as his lips curled up. “Of course.”
I didn’t say anything else as we walked into the room. It was cool inside, and at once, I was grateful for the long-sleeved shirt.