Chapter 10

Luke

The shop was always busiest on Mondays. Cars that had sputtered to a stop over the weekend rolled in one after another, their owners looking frazzled and in need of a miracle. I didn’t mind the chaos; it kept my mind busy. If I was too focused on fixing engines, I didn’t have time to think about everything else.

But I never thought that Elle would come to the auto shop out of all places.

I didn’t know she’d show up today, of all places. Seeing her walk into my dad’s shop had been a punch to the gut. She looked so out of place in her crisp outfit and carefully styled hair, standing there like she didn’t know grease stains and the smell of motor oil were a way of life for people like me.

Not that she wasn’t polite. Elle had a way of carrying herself, even when she felt uncomfortable. That little nod she gave my dad when he recognized her name? Classic Sinclair poise. She didn’t even flinch when he brought up her dad.

Still, it was weird seeing her here, sitting in the waiting room and scrolling through her phone like this was just another errand. For me, it wasn’t. I couldn’t get her out of my head after Saturday night, and now here she was, like some kind of cosmic joke.

I tightened the last bolt on the car I’d been working on and wiped my hands on a rag, glancing toward the waiting room. She was still there, legs crossed, her phone balanced in her lap. I wondered what she was thinking. She looked distracted, maybe even a little worried.

“Luke,” my dad called from across the garage. “That Sinclair girl’s car should be next on the lift since the car parts came in.”

“Got it,” I said, keeping my voice neutral.

I grabbed the keys from the desk and rolled her car into the bay. It wasn’t in great shape, but it wasn’t beyond saving either. A little work, and it’d be back on the road in no time. As I popped the hood, I couldn’t help but think about Saturday night again.

She’d looked surprised when I offered her a ride, like the idea of me helping her was some kind of alien concept. But she’d accepted, even if she was hesitant at first. The drive had been quiet, but not uncomfortable. I’d wanted to say something, to ask why she was walking alone in the dark, but I didn’t. She didn’t seem like she wanted to talk, and I wasn’t going to push her.

“Need any help with that?” Dad’s voice broke into my thoughts.

“No, I’ve got it,” I said quickly.

He gave me a look, like he didn’t quite believe me, but he didn’t press. Instead, he leaned against the tool cart, watching me work.

“You know, her dad used to come here all the time,” he said after a moment.

“Yeah, you mentioned that,” I said, keeping my eyes on the engine.

“He was a good guy. Stubborn as hell, though. Always insisted on doing things his way, even if it wasn’t the best way.”

I grunted in acknowledgment, not really sure where this was going.

“Elle’s got that same look,” Dad said, nodding toward the waiting room. “Determined. Independent. She reminds me of him.”

I didn’t answer, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to say. I didn’t know Elle well enough to agree or disagree, but I couldn’t deny that there was something about her—something that made it hard to look away.

When Dad finally wandered off, I got back to work, replacing the busted part and double-checking everything else under the hood. By the time I was done, my hands were covered in grease, and my shirt had a new stain that probably wasn’t coming out.

I rolled the car out I rolled the car out of the bay and parked it in the lot, wiping my hands on a rag before heading back into the garage. My dad was leaning against the tool cart again, watching me with an expression that made me uneasy.

“What?” I asked, tossing the rag onto the counter.

He raised an eyebrow. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

“About?”

He crossed his arms, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “About how you’ve been working here for years, and I’ve never seen you look at someone the way you look at that girl.”

I froze, my stomach doing a weird flip. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb, Luke,” he said, his smirk turning into a full grin. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Every time you glance toward the waiting room, it’s like you’re trying not to stare too hard.”

“I’m not—”

He cut me off, holding up a hand. “Spare me the excuses. I’ve seen that look before. It’s the same look I had when I met your mother.”

“Dad,” I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh, really?” he asked, tilting his head. “Then why haven’t you asked her out?”

I stared at him, completely thrown off. “Because…she’s Elle Sinclair,” I said, like that explained everything.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with my reasoning. “So what? She’s still a person, same as you.”

“It’s not that simple,” I muttered, grabbing a wrench just to have something to do with my hands.

“Why not?” he pressed.

I hesitated, trying to put my thoughts into words. “Because she’s…different,” I finally said. “Her family’s got money, she’s got this whole life that I don’t fit into. And she probably doesn’t even think of me like that.”

Dad let out a low chuckle. “You’re overthinking it, kid. Trust me, women don’t care about all that as much as you think they do. What they care about is how you treat them.”

I shook my head, setting the wrench down. “It’s not that easy, Dad. You don’t get it.”

He sighed, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “You’re right, I don’t. But I do know this—if you don’t take a chance, you’ll never know what could’ve been. And that’s worse than any rejection.”

I didn’t say anything, mostly because I didn’t know what to say. Dad gave my shoulder a squeeze before walking off, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I glanced toward the waiting room, where Elle was still sitting, her phone in her hands. She didn’t look up, didn’t notice me watching her. For a moment, I wondered what she’d say if I did ask her out. Would she laugh? Would she be annoyed?

Or would she say yes?

I shook the thought out of my head and headed back into the shop. It didn’t matter what my dad thought. Elle and I lived in two different worlds, and no amount of wishful thinking was going to change that.

Still, when Dad called her name to let her know her car was ready, I couldn’t help but watch as she stood up, smoothed her school uniform skirt, and walked toward the counter.

“Thank you, Mr. O’Connor,” she said, her voice polite and formal.

Dad smiled at her, the way he always did with customers. “No problem, Elle. And if you ever need anything else, you know where to find us.”

She nodded, glancing at me for a split second before turning and walking out the door.

I watched her go, my chest tightening in a way I couldn’t explain.

“You gonna let her walk away like that?” Dad asked from behind me, his voice low and teasing.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I grabbed my tools and got back to work, trying to ignore the way my heart was still racing.

But deep down, I knew my dad was right. If I didn’t take a chance, I’d always wonder what could’ve been.

And that thought scared me more than anything else.