The Contract Girlfriend

PTE

coat was dripping, her hair a mess, and her heels squelched. Her apron

e late.

look up from the rece

car got stuck because of the storm. I l

"And last week? Let

at t

ek befor

r's cat. L

third time. You're unreliable. You've got a s

ire me. I haven't e

ly, I'm not firing you. I'm

soaked, jobless, an

ne explodes," she muttered

icially weeping, perfectly matched her mood. She tossed her box into the back

id car. Stupid sto

rm raged

ng. Phone? Dead. Her patience? Buried u

ed, swerving past a slow-moving van. "Two years

ck. A screech.

jolted. Something, no, som

kes and sat frozen, e

umbled into the rain, shoes sl

dressed in all black, tall, broad-shouldered, and t

d, kneeling beside h

idn't

hone. Dead. "You literally ran in front of me. What were you

l not

xhaled sharply. "Fine. We

ier than he looked. Somehow she managed to prop him in

kling his seatbelt. "This is saving a stranger

wn to jail. Every siren in the dista

so hard she could barely put the car in park. She ran inside,

. "I hit him. I mean, not on purpose. I bro

ocessed the madness, a

et, barefoot, and

a dozen questions she barely hea

he wa

Traumatized. And p

s Eve

olted

ly judgmental smile. "He's awake.

slightly, and follo

an interrogation. But not him, propped against hospital pil

ing, face pale and bruised bu

s voice was low,

roat. "Hospital. I brought you here aft

ked. "Yo

hnically, yes. You were

her, express

fe and then you showed up in front of my car like some broody Vict

touched his te

'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean

out a dry

You're helping me-or I'm filin

full of the kind of arrogance that d

razy,It was a mistake, Mr. and by th

les said, completely unfazed. "You're d

?" she demanded, backing up a

ated like it magicall

me ridiculous confi

int tremor ran through his arm, but he pretended not to feel it. His hand moved

heart

u can't just

ause clearly this man had escaped common sense along with the accident. The m

said. "There's probably paper

e, ri

"How do you

aid casually, wincing as he pulled off the last bit of tape

losed it, opened it agai

ke it belonged to him. He looked ridiculous. His dark hair was a mess, his sneakers were scuffed, and a faint bruise was f

to be," he said. "A

, following him out the do

You're the one who hit me.

aved

he said over

ate reality TikToks. Maybe she was still in bed and this wa

slight smirk. She hated that part of herself that followed, not because she o

at, she was back

man in her passenger seat, and a very bad feeli