Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“I missed you,” I say, kissing her gently one more time.
“Announce yourself next time.” She’s smiling, though, her hands on my chest. “But actually, I’m glad you’re here. I was just about to try something.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
She wriggles from my grip and slides into the Spider’s driver’s seat. She flips the visor down and grabs the keys as they tumble out.
I stand back, arms crossed in surprise. “You’re ready to try it?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She looks nervously at me and tries a sheepish smile. “Don’t judge me if it explodes, okay?”
“I’ll pull you from the wreckage.”
“Maybe let me burn.” She chews her lip for a second then shoves the key into the ignition. “You better goddamn work.”
She cranks it. Once, twice, three times. For a beat, I think it won’t turn over. But then the Spider roars to life, a glorious hum of engine and power, and she’s screaming with pure ecstasy as she hits the gas and the car responds. It growls, low and throaty, sensual and beautiful, and the goddamn thing doesn’t explode at all.
It sounds perfect.
She leaps out of the car, leaving it running, and dives at me like a maniac. She’s screaming and laughing, and I’m laughing too. Her pure joy is infectious. I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy. I’m smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. I grab her and lift her into the air and swing her around and she’s squealing like this is the best moment of her life. We kiss again, but this time it’s sloppy and happy and she’s laughing and hugging me.
“I’m so fucking proud of you,” I tell her as we turn together to admire the running Spider.
“Honestly? I’m proud of myself. I wasn’t sure it’d ever actually work.”
“Look at you now. Think it’ll drive?”
“Definitely. I mean, it’s ready. I have a few little tweaks, but nothing major.”
“You’re incredible.”
“I’m alright.” She leans against me and sighs. “No, you’re right, I am totally incredible.”
We stand together and watch the car rumble and idle in the tent, and I’m wondering how I got through my days before her.
Because now that she’s here?
This is everything I need.
Chapter 34
Fiorella
“You sure you don’t want to come?”
Elisa shakes her head. She nudges me toward the car with both hands, grinning huge. “This should be your moment. I’ll just distract you.”
“It was supposed to be for us, you know. We were going to drive off into the sunset behind the wheel of this car. We’d go somewhere far away, sell it, and start over fresh.”
“I kind of figured that was the plan.” Her smile turns sad as she hugs herself lightly. “But it was never going to happen.”
“It still could,” I say, but even I know that’s not true. Even if I wanted to run, there’s no way it’s possible anymore. Luca would never let me, and I could never survive without him. Not now that I feel like we’re tangled together. Like we’re both trees with our root systems intertwined and fused, and now we’re just one massive organism. If I go, he goes too.
“You don’t even want that. You’re going to be a mom, remember? And you’ve got a pretty decent husband.”
“He’s fine. Not as good as a classic car though.”
“Yeah, great point. I’m sure that car will make a fantastic dad.”
I pull her into a tight hug. “You really don’t want to come?”
“I’ll be here when you get back. And maybe we’ll go for the second ride together, okay?”
I kiss her cheek and hop in behind the wheel. I sit there and feel the Spider’s engine idling as Elisa pins back the tent flaps so I can drive out the front. When she’s done, I put the car in gear, and there’s still a question in the back of my mind. Is it actually going to drive?
But I shouldn’t have worried.
The Spider rolls like a dream.
I hit the road and go. Not fast at first. I have to make sure there’s nothing wrong. It handles like heaven and accelerates like hell, which is what I love about this make and model. I notice more than a few envious looks as I maneuver through the city streets.
Eventually, I hit the highway, spinning off onto 95 heading north, and I finally open him up.
The Spider glides. It doesn’t drive, it doesn’t speed. It’s like I’m skating over ice. Every tap of the gas, every twitch of the wheel, and the car responds like all it wants is to do my bidding. I put it through the gears, shifting into fifth, and I stay there, cruising along in the right lane, feeling free.
And crying.
They aren’t bad tears. But it’s obvious nothing’s ever going to be the same. I’ve been working on this car for a couple of years and now it’s finally done. I feel my life changing all around me.