The car accident that killed my parents was a long time ago, and therapy had helped a whole lot to ensure I didn’t break out into a cold sweat every time I got into a car, but I still didn’t like stuff like this. It brought me back to a dark place that I didn’t like.
“That guy was an ass. I’m sorry, Emma. There’s always a couple of them, and Bubba likes to drive aggressively. He’s caused a few minor accidents over the years.”
My teeth clenched together. “A guy like that is going to get someone killed. Unless someone teaches him a lesson.” I stretched out my hand toward the truck. “Slow down,” I whispered to Deva.
Deva does, giving him a wide berth.
Suddenly, all four of his tires popped, and his car made a terrible sound as it screeched to a halt. He climbed out of his car, in what looked like a fit of rage, but then saw his tires. His mouth dropped open in utter disbelief.
Deva waited for the other side of the road to be clear, then started to go around him. I couldn’t help myself. I unrolled my window and yelled, “Karma isn’t going to be done with you. Not until you learn how to drive safer.”
He looked up at me in confusion, but we just drove past and continued onto the office.
“You’re getting more confident,” Deva mused, a smile on her lips. “Remember when you popped that spot thief’s tires? You were scared. Now, you’re a badass.”
I grinned. “Or maybe I’m already getting bored with my powers and doing the same things.”
She laughed. “Nah, punishing terrible drivers would be near the top of my list if I had your powers.”
We were both cackling like old witches but then relaxed again into our drive. But very quickly, my thoughts went back to Daniel. It’d been so dang long since I’d had to date or flirt with anyone. Deva had been single longer, even though she hadn’t dated anyone yet. I figured she might be a good person to talk about it all with, but for some weird reason, I felt nervous.
After a few minutes, I glanced at Deva out of the corner of my eye and then decided to just go for it. “So, Daniel tried to ask me out today.”
“No!” Deva exclaimed. The grin on her face and lack of true surprise in her voice told me that she thought it was long overdue.
“Yes. But I made a fool of myself and he never got around to asking.” At least I was pretty sure he was just being shy and backward like me. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have slapped himself in the forehead… would he?
We talked about it all the way to Roger’s office, which took a big load off the ride. Deva helped me over-analyze every little detail, down to the type of granny panties I’d had on my head when he first saw me. It made me laugh and relax and almost forget what we were doing. She didn’t seem bothered by what we were about to do in the slightest which helped as well, though it made me wonder how common stuff like this was for my friends. How much had I missed out on when I was only a human? It sure seemed like a lot now.
When our conversation died down, I cautiously brought up her dating life. “So, is Harry still trying to get back together with you?”
She stiffened and all her humor died away. “Yeah, I’ve told him over and over again that I just need space, but I know it’s time to have a frank discussion… now that I know how I feel.”
“And how do you feel?” I waited, hoping she wasn’t seriously considering getting back together with him.
“I feel like I stopped loving him one day at a time. Every time he ignored me. Every time he rejected me. Every time he compared me to other women. It doesn’t matter how many flowers he buys or terrible poems he writes now, my love for him is gone.”
And yet there was still pain in her voice. “So, you’re going to have that conversation with him. And then, are you going to go out with Marquis?”
She was quiet for a minute. “Yeah. I think so, although he’s not the reason for my decision. He’s more of a bonus. Because I don’t know if he’s my happily-ever-after, or if I’m too old for all that nonsense.”
“You’re never too old for a happily-ever-after,” I told her.
She gave me a shy smile. “I guess you’re right. So, the next time Marquis seems to be hinting for a date, I think I’ll take him up on it, and just see where it goes.”
“I’m happy for you,” I said, and meant it. “I feel like things with Daniel can’t really start until everything is completely closed with my ex. It’s like you’re where I want to be.”
She turned on her blinker and slowly turned into a parking lot. “It took me a long time to get to this point. But it’s okay if you don’t need all that time. No two people have the same path in life.”
“You’re pretty dang wise.”
She grinned. “With age comes wisdom.”
“Then, as a person who’s a few months older than you, I better get that wisdom faster!”
We were laughing again as we pulled into a parking spot.
“Okay,” Deva said as we stared at the small building. The last one on Main Street, a little one-room number. It looked like he hadn’t been taking very good care of it if I was honest. The building itself was fine, maybe some paint peeling here and there, but the grass was overgrown and the flower beds that decorated the front and the pathway were full of weeds. I could only imagine the fit my old Homeowners Association would have thrown if I let the house, I had with Rick get to this state. In fact, it probably was in
