Page 65 of The Fractured

“I could get a job,” Jane said, keeping up with our mother’s fast stride as we left the field. Her cleats tapped the sidewalk as she went. “That way I can save up for my own car.”

Dean and I followed them loosely, hand in hand.

“And if I had my own car, it’d mean you wouldn’t have to drive me around everywhere. I’ll have more freedom.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Mom shook her head in a way that tidied up her shoulder-length hair. “You aren’t getting a car, Jane.”

“Could I at least get my license?”

Mom remained silent.

Jane rolled her eyes and looked back at me, desperate for backup as she pleaded silently. She had been so happy about her team winning today.

“Dad could teach her,” I said. “You’d know she’s learning from the best with all his knowledge of the law...” I wanted to cringe at how doting I sounded towards my father. At the moment, I wanted nothing to do with him after the trick he pulled.

“I’ll think about it,” Mom said. The finality about it really meant no.

Jane’s shoulders slumped as we shared a look again.

I mouthed an apology.

“I’ll teach her,” Dean said, shrugging a shoulder.

Jane spun around, walking backwards with a new skip in her step. “Hell, yes!”

Mom stammered with a scoff. “Definitely not.”

Jane’s eyes shot to Mom, but her arms gestured wide to the Cadillac parked across the street. “Mom, he drives aCaddy. Can you imagine me arriving at school in that thing?”

“It is too big to learn in.” Mom’s frustration was bubbling beneath the surface. It was evident in the way several strands of hair had dared to stray from her neat hairstyle. “I’d much rather you learn in my Volvo. It’s practical. And you’ll only be learning from me or your father. No one else.”

Despite the sharpness in her tone, indirectly aimed at Dean, it was the fastest I had ever seen her flip on a decision.

The happy gleam on Jane’s face only grew brighter. “That’s a yes to getting my license?”

“Yes. But don’t push it.”

Jane squealed with delight and jogged the rest of the way to Mom’s car, waving briefly back at us before she climbed in and began frantically texting the good news to her friends. Or maybe mystery boy.

After a curt goodbye from Mom, we headed to Dean’s car. Arm in arm as we walked, I leaned into him.

“Did you just use reverse psychology on my mother?” I muttered as we watched Mom’s Volvo leave.

“Maybe.”

When we got to his car, and he caught my eye again from over the roof, a small smile played in the corner of his mouth.

“How come you never got your license?” he asked.

“Anxiety,” I grimaced.

“Fair enough,” he nodded, but then tilted his head, squinting in the sunlight. “Would you consider it, though?”

I folded my arms on the roof of the car and smiled. “Are you sick of driving me already?”

“Lily, I’d drive you everywhere for the rest of my life if I could.” He mirrored me, leaning on the roof. The happy little glimmer in his blue-gray eyes caused my heart to skip. “But considering where my future is headed, I don’t really wanna imagine this thing gathering dust in my garage. So, maybe if you learned to drive, you could take care of it for me.”

My eyes widened. “Your car?”