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“And he obviously wanted the best of both worlds,” Mia added, her tone laced with disgust. “Such a selfish jerk.”

“Yeah,” I agreed before wrapping my arms around myself as a sudden chill ran through me.

I felt like such a fool for falling for his charms. For giving him a chance when I should have known better.

Breaking up with Jeremy was painful, but it was the knowledge I’d brought this on myself that was the hardest part to bear.

How could I be shocked and upset when he was just doing what jocks did?

It was like getting mad at a cat for chasing a mouse.

It was in his nature to cheat, and I’d just been stupid enough to think he could be any different.

I was surprised when Nicole wrapped an arm over my shoulders. She wasn’t the most affectionate person, and yet she didn’t seem the least bit reluctant as she went to guide me up the steps to the school entrance.

“I know it’s hard, but it’s going to get better,” she said.

“I hope so,” I replied. “Because I am done with dating, and I will be one hundred percent sticking to my no-jock rule from now on. No exceptions .”

The two girls shared a concerned look.

“You can’t just give up on dating,” Mia said. “Not because of Jeremy.”

“Sure, I can.” I had no interest in risking my heart with another boy any time soon.

Dating Jeremy had been a mistake, and I should have run from him the moment he’d shown me his hockey skates.

Like my mom, I’d learned that lesson the hard way.

And, as painful as it was, I was determined to make sure I never made the same mistake again.

Thankfully, I managed to avoid Jeremy for the rest of the school day.

We had different classes, which helped, but I also steered clear of the cafeteria at lunch.

I knew I would have seen him there, and while I briefly considered marching in with my head held high, Nicole offered me an escape route, which I was more than willing to take.

She insisted she couldn’t possibly eat lunch with the masses today because she needed to keep a low profile after her exploits on Saturday night.

She had emptied the pockets of every boy stupid enough to face her in a poker game at the party, and she claimed she needed to avoid her disgruntled opponents at all costs.

Nicole was not someone who got nervous about confrontation, so I knew she was doing it for me, and I was grateful.

It was surprising how quickly word of my breakup with Jeremy spread through the school.

People were whispering about it in my classes after lunch.

And before the day was done, I even heard a couple of girls gushing over the fact they might have a chance with Jeremy now he was single.

I was almost tempted to tell them their chances weren’t any different because he didn’t appear to believe in exclusivity.

When the bell finally rang at the end of the day, I hurried to the teacher’s parking lot to find Luke. He was giving me a ride to the garage to check on my car. And after the day I’d had, I was really hoping Reed’s dad was going to give me some good news.

I jumped up and down to keep myself warm as I waited by the car for my uncle.

I probably shouldn’t have rushed outside, because Luke was always slow to finish his day, but I’d desperately wanted to get out of school and away from prying eyes and gossiping mouths.

But, the longer I stood out in the cold, the more I regretted that decision.

I was never going to get used to the winters here.

Just when I was considering retreating back inside, the lights on the car flashed, and I heard the familiar clicking sound of the vehicle unlocking. I turned to find Mia walking toward me with the car keys in her hand.

“Where’s Luke?” I asked.

“He got called into an urgent meeting,” she replied. “He told me he was going to have to stay late so we should take the car home. Want to drive?” She tossed the keys at me before I had a chance to respond, and I only just managed to catch them.

“Uh, sure,” I said, but then I shook my head. “Wait, he wants us to go straight home? What about Betty?”

“He said to tell you he’d take you to the garage in the morning.”

“He wants me to wait another night to check on Betty?”

Mia shrugged. “Well, he can’t go with you tonight, and I think he wants to be there to make sure she’s not being held in a mafia hideout.”

I rubbed my forehead. I might have only spent a short time with Reed’s dad, but I felt pretty confident Danny Darling’s garage wasn’t a front for organized crime. At the very least, I would have expected Reed to be driving a much nicer car if his dad was some mobster like Luke had heard.

“How are you after today?” Mia asked.

I hadn’t seen her since lunch, and not all that much had changed during the last classes of the day. “If you’re asking whether I’m still resisting the urge to key Jeremy’s car, I am.”

“Are you sure?” she continued. “I overheard a few girls chatting just now. They were all sympathetic toward Jeremy and didn’t know he cheated on you. From the way they were talking, it was as though you were the one who broke his heart.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “So, I’m the bad guy?”

“Well, obviously, you’re not…”

But apparently the rest of the school didn’t see it that way. I should have expected this. People were always going to take Jeremy’s side. He was the boy they idolized, and I was just the new girl.

“I could tell people the truth about what happened,” Mia suggested.

“What’s the point?” I replied. “Even if they believe you, he’ll score a few goals in his next game, and then no one will care.” That was yet another reason why dating a jock was a terrible idea. People were far more forgiving of their heroes.

She gave me a sad smile. “Things will be better tomorrow.”

I didn’t agree. If anything, things would probably be worse. I was sure that, by tomorrow, everyone at school would know about my breakup with Jeremy and be silently judging me for it. On top of all that, I now had to wait another day before I could check on Betty.

As I hopped in Luke’s car, I made a swift decision. “Screw it,” I said, pulling out my phone and punching in the directions to Danny’s Garage.

"Screw what?” Mia said.

“I’m going to see Betty.”

“Uh, Vi, did you miss the part about the mafia hideout?”

I waved off her concern. “Luke worries too much.” I preferred to go without him, anyway. I didn’t want Luke feeling obliged to help pay for any repairs I might need, especially since I knew he’d struggle to afford it.

“What about my concerns?” Mia asked before lowering her voice. “You know the Darlings are bad news.”

Although I’d heard so many negative things about Danny and his sons, I found I didn’t share Mia’s concerns.

I’d been alone with Reed and his brothers on Saturday night and had survived unscathed.

Visiting their dad’s garage in broad daylight hardly felt like the perilous task she was making it out to be.

I’d be lying though if I said I was completely without nerves.

My decision to go to the garage had awoken one lone butterfly in my stomach, and it was gently fluttering about because there was a chance I might see Reed again.

“Well, I’ve always got that pepper spray Luke gave me as a welcome-to-Minnesota gift,” I replied. “I’ll make sure to keep it handy.”

“I think we’d all prefer if you didn’t need to use that,” Mia grumbled. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her seat but didn’t say anything else. That was about as close to approval as I was going to get from Mia, so I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

It turned out Danny’s Garage wasn’t too far from school, but from the way Mia complained as we crossed over the river and into Ransom, you’d think we were trekking from the Shire to Mordor.

It was the first time I’d entered our neighboring town, and immediately I felt like it wasn’t nearly as bad as Mia and the other kids at Sunshine Prep made it out to be.

We passed cozy cafés and cute-looking dress shops and a tiny bookstore that was crammed with so many novels they seemed to spill out the front door and onto the street.

The way people in Sunshine Hills whispered about Ransom made it sound like the bridge across the river was a gateway to another world. Ransom might have lacked the obvious opulence of Sunshine Hills, but I found myself drawn to its simple charm and welcoming atmosphere all the same.

When we reached our destination, I found a parking space on the other side of the road from the garage and left the car running for a minute as I gathered my thoughts.

The garage looked surprisingly modern. It had freshly painted charcoal walls with white trim, and the “Danny’s Garage” sign was displayed neatly above the wide entrance.

"This is exactly what a mafia hideout pretending to be a garage would look like,” Mia said as she studied the building.

“Please stop calling it that,” I grumbled.

Despite the confidence I’d portrayed to Mia about coming to check on Betty, it was only now we’d arrived that I began to realize this might not be the best idea.

I didn’t know the first thing about cars, and there was every chance I’d have no idea what Danny was talking about when he explained what was wrong with Betty.

Mia didn’t know any more than me, so she’d be just as useless if I brought her inside.

I probably should have just come back with Luke in the morning, but Danny was expecting me, and I didn’t want to wait another day. Besides, I was here now, and I was genuinely worried Luke would try to pay for my repairs if he came with me. This was my car and my problem to fix.

“Do you think one of the Devils will be there?” Mia murmured. “Maybe you’ll see Reed again?”

I’d been doing my best to avoid the thought. But every time it entered my mind, another butterfly awoke in my stomach.

“I’m sure he won’t be there,” I replied even though there was no way I could know.

Still, I glanced at myself in the rearview mirror and swallowed. I looked a mess. There were shadows under my tired eyes, and strands of hairs were sticking out at odd angles. I looked like the day had steamrollered me—because it had.

I ran a hand through my hair but quickly gave up on trying to fix it. I wasn’t sure why I cared how I looked anyway. I was just here to find out what was wrong with my car.

“But what if he is there?” Mia continued.

“It won’t matter. I’m not here to see Reed. I’m here to see his dad.” I turned off the car engine before I could reconsider and placed a firm hand against my stomach in the hopes of settling the jitters I could feel there. Surely, I wasn’t this nervous to see Reed again, was I?

Mia went to unbuckle her seat belt as I undid mine, but I shook my head at her. “Uh, you’re not coming with me.”

“Of course, I am. I’m not letting you go in there alone.”

“I’m a big girl, Mia. It’s fine.”

“You need backup.”

“Yes, because if Danny Darling really is a fearsome mobster, he’ll obviously be terrified of you.”

“I can be scary,” Mia insisted.

“I’m sure you can be, but I really don’t need anyone to hold my hand. Danny seemed really nice the other night.” She looked prepared to argue, so I quickly continued. “Besides, if we’re both in there, who’s going to call the cops when we don’t return?”

She scowled at me. “That’s not even slightly funny.”

“I thought it was.” I smirked. “Tell you what, if I’m not back in ten minutes, you can send in a search party.”

“Vi…”

I jumped out of the car before she could object. She didn’t follow after me, and I suspected she really was worried she might have to call the cops.

There were several cars parked outside the garage, and the smell of gasoline and oil lingered in the air.

A large open roller door marked the entrance, and the sounds of tools clanging and scraping metal echoed from within.

As I made my way inside, those pesky butterflies suddenly multiplied.

Reed was here, and he was looking even more appealing than I remembered.

Wearing a set of dark navy coveralls, he was bent over the engine of a car.

There was a smear of grease on his cheek, and my fingers itched to wipe it off.

He was so focused on the car he was working on he didn’t notice my entrance.

I took advantage of that and headed straight for the office that was off to one side.

My tongue felt glued to the roof of my mouth, and my stomach churned, sending a wave of nerves coursing through me.

The adrenaline pulsing in my veins made me feel exhilarated and terrified all at once.

I guessed I had my answer. Yes, I really was that nervous to see Reed again. The more concerning question though was why.