THE GIRL WHO KEPT COMING BACK

The next morning, Amara woke up earlier than usual.

She stared at the ceiling, remembering the stranger who had helped her in the rain.

Adrian.

She smiled before she could stop herself.

Then she immediately frowned.

Amara: "Why am I smiling?"

She threw the blanket over her face.

It was ridiculous.

She had known him for only a few hours.

Yet she couldn't stop thinking about him.

At breakfast, Vincent noticed the change.

Vincent: "You seem cheerful."

Amara looked up.

Amara: "Do I?"

Vincent: "Yes."

Amara picked up her coffee.

Amara: "Maybe I slept well."

Vincent: "Perhaps."

He returned to his newspaper.

Vincent: "Don't forget lunch with the Brooks family."

Amara's smile disappeared.

Amara: "I remember."

Vincent: "Nathaniel is looking forward to seeing you."

Amara: "I'm sure he is."

Vincent: "You should make an effort."

Amara sighed.

Amara: "Dad, can we not talk about Nathaniel?"

Vincent lowered the newspaper.

Vincent: "Why not?"

Amara: "Because I don't want to marry someone simply because you approve of him."

Vincent: "You haven't given him a chance."

Amara: "Maybe I don't want to."

Vincent: "Amara."

She stood.

Amara: "I have to go."

Vincent: "Where?"

Amara: "Somewhere."

She grabbed her bag and left.

Outside, she stopped beside her car.

She knew exactly where she wanted to go.

The repair shop.

Amara shook her head.

Amara: "This is a bad idea."

She opened the car door.

Amara: "I'm just checking on my car."

She knew that wasn't true.

Forty minutes later, she parked outside Adrian's shop.

She stepped out and looked around.

The shop looked exactly as she remembered.

Old.

Small.

Busy.

Adrian was underneath a car.

Only his boots were visible.

Amara smiled.

Amara: "Adrian?"

The boots stopped moving.

Adrian rolled out from beneath the car.

He looked at her.

Then he smiled.

Adrian: "Princess."

Amara crossed her arms.

Amara: "I told you not to call me that."

Adrian: "And I told you I wouldn't listen."

Amara tried not to laugh.

Adrian stood and wiped his hands with a cloth.

Adrian: "What brings you here?"

Amara: "My car."

Adrian glanced toward her vehicle.

Adrian: "Your car seems fine."

Amara paused.

Amara: "Maybe I wanted coffee."

Adrian smiled.

Adrian: "You drove forty minutes for coffee?"

Amara: "Maybe."

Adrian: "You're terrible at lying."

Amara: "You're terrible at being polite."

Adrian laughed.

Adrian: "Fair enough."

He walked inside.

Amara followed.

The shop owner looked at her curiously.

Owner: "Your friend?"

Adrian looked at Amara.

Adrian: "Something like that."

Amara felt her cheeks warm.

She sat on the old sofa.

Adrian prepared two cups of coffee.

He handed one to her.

Adrian: "Careful. It's hot."

Amara took a sip.

Amara: "This is actually good."

Adrian: "I made it."

Amara: "That's surprising."

Adrian: "Why?"

Amara: "You don't look like someone who knows how to make coffee."

Adrian: "And you don't look like someone who drinks cheap coffee."

Amara laughed.

Amara: "Maybe we're both full of surprises."

Adrian sat beside her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Adrian looked at her clothes.

Adrian: "You dressed differently today."

Amara glanced down.

She was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a simple blouse.

Amara: "Is that bad?"

Adrian: "No."

Amara: "Then why are you staring?"

Adrian: "Because you look more comfortable."

Amara smiled.

Amara: "I am."

Adrian: "Good."

She looked around the shop.

Amara: "Do you work here every day?"

Adrian: "Almost."

Amara: "Don't you get tired?"

Adrian: "Sometimes."

Amara: "Then why keep doing it?"

Adrian: "Because I have a dream."

Amara remembered what he had told her.

Amara: "Your garage."

Adrian smiled.

Adrian: "You remembered."

Amara: "Of course."

Adrian: "I thought rich girls forgot things quickly."

Amara: "I told you. I'm not like other rich girls."

Adrian looked at her carefully.

Adrian: "You're really rich, aren't you?"

Amara became quiet.

Amara: "Yes."

Adrian: "How rich?"

Amara: "Rich enough."

Adrian laughed.

Adrian: "You really hate answering questions."

Amara: "Only personal ones."

Adrian: "Then I won't ask."

She appreciated that.

Most people wanted to know her family name.

Adrian seemed more interested in knowing her.

Amara: "What do you do when you're not working?"

Adrian: "I run."

Amara: "Run?"

Adrian: "Every morning."

Amara: "Why?"

Adrian: "Keeps my head clear."

Amara: "Maybe I'll join you."

Adrian looked surprised.

Adrian: "You?"

Amara: "What?"

Adrian: "You run?"

Amara: "I can."

Adrian: "You wear expensive shoes."

Amara: "Not anymore."

He smiled.

Adrian: "Tomorrow morning?"

Amara nodded.

Amara: "Tomorrow morning."

Neither of them knew that their simple agreement would become the beginning of something neither could control.

The next morning, Adrian waited outside the shop before sunrise.

He expected her to cancel.

Instead, a car stopped.

Amara stepped out wearing sneakers and a ponytail.

Adrian smiled.

Adrian: "You actually came."

Amara: "You sound surprised."

Adrian: "I am."

Amara: "Let's run."

They started down the quiet street.

At first, Amara struggled to keep up.

Amara: "Slow down!"

Adrian laughed.

Adrian: "I thought rich girls were supposed to be athletic."

Amara: "I hate you."

Adrian: "No, you don't."

She stopped.

He stopped too.

Their eyes met.

For one quiet second, neither of them laughed.

Something changed.

Amara felt it.

So did Adrian.

Adrian: "You okay?"

Amara nodded.

Amara: "Yeah."

But she wasn't.

Her heart was beating too fast.

And she was beginning to realize that she wasn't visiting Adrian because of her car.

She was visiting because she wanted to be near him.

And that frightened her more than anything else.