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She knocked decisively on the door.

“Bye, I’ll be back later!” I called to my parents and went to open the door.

“Hi,” I said, sounding breathless.

“Hello,” Ryan said. “Ready to go?”

“Yup,” I said as I heard my parents coming down the hall. “Let’s go. Now.”

I tried to shove Ryan out of the way so we didn’t have an awkward encounter with my parents, but it was like trying to move a brick wall.

“Everly?” Mama said.

“Go, go go,” I said to Ryan, rushing down the steps and speaking over my shoulder “love you, bye!”

I threw myself in the passenger seat and Ryan got in the driver’s seat with less speed than I would have liked. My parents stood in the doorway with puzzled looks on their faces.

“Please go,” I said, and she put the car in reverse and backed out before turning onto the main road. I waved at my parents as we sped away.

“Anything I need to know about? Are you escaping from something?” she said as the car purred down the pothole-studded road.

“My parents are…they’re great, but I didn’t want to unleash them on you right yet. They can be a bit much.” If I’d let them, they would have dragged Ryan inside and bombarded her with questions and maybe even held her hostage.

“You’re close with them,” she said, not as a question.

“Always have been, even when I didn’t live with them. They’re amazing.”

Ryan didn’t say anything for a little while.

“This is a really nice car,” I said, my body sinking into the leather seats.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m thinking of getting rid of it.”

“Oh? What would you get instead?” I asked.

“I’m open to suggestions,” she said.

“I don’t know much about cars.” Mine was one I’d inherited from Mama when she upgraded after closing a huge sale and making a big commission. In fact, all of the cars I’d ever owned had been hand-me-downs, so I’d never even shopped for one, unless you counted going with my parents when they bought one.

“I’d still like to hear your opinion,” she said, and I looked at her in surprise. She wanted to know my opinion? I felt my cheeks turn red and was grateful she had her eyes on the road.

“I have to think about this for a little bit,” I said.

“Take your time.”

I didn’t say anything until she pulled into the parking lot next to Nick’s.

Ryan turned the car off and faced me. “Well?”

“I’m still thinking,” I said. “While this car is very nice, it’s not…you. I picture you in something older. Classic. Red, maybe black. Sleek, but aggressive. The kind of car that people would compliment you on. A car that required a little bit of elbow grease to keep it running,” I said, and I couldn’t read the expression on her face. I’d never met someone so good at hiding their emotions before. She should teach classes.

“How did I do?” I asked when she didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

“It sounds like a midlife crisis car,” she said, as if she was fighting a smile.

“You’re too young for a midlife crisis,” I said.

She raised one eyebrow. “I’m thirty-eight.”