Page 52 of Safe Place

“You won’t need to. Please, Sophie.” His voice softens, almost pleading. “It’s just sitting there. You’d really be helping me.”

“Can’t Grant or Wyatt use it?”

“They have their own cars,” he says with an easy shrug. “It’s really not a big deal. Learn to drive with it, get scratches on it if you have to. I’ll take care of it. I’m a Vale, remember?” He winks, with a cocky smile tugging at his mouth.

I stare at him, torn between horror and maybe a little curiosity.

“I don’t know, Micah. I feel like this is a terrible idea,” I murmur.

“It’s not,” he insists, leaning a little closer. “Come on, Soph. For me?”

I sigh, shaking my head. “Okay, fine. I guess I can take it off your hands. For a bit.”

His grin is immediate, bright enough to make my chest tighten. “Thank you, Soph. Promise? You’re a real lifesaver.”

“Sure.”

Honestly, I don’t even know what to think when it comes to him anymore.

“Let me drive you to my place so you can pick it up. When do you get off?” he asks.

“I’m actually done now. Lucy’s got it from here.” I point to Lucy, who’s reorganizing some laptop sleeves in the tech section.

MICAH

I asked Marianne to find an SUV for Sophie—nothing too expensive, because she’d never accept it if it looked pricey, something easy for a new driver to handle, and safe above all else.

She mentioned that Tiger Woods survived a severe crash in a Genesis SUV because of all its safety features. But she warned it might be too big for Sophie, so we settled on the more compact version. I had it delivered to the parking lot behind the cafe; I didn’t want Sophie stressing over pulling it out of a tight parking garage her first time driving. I also told Marianne to make sure it didn’t look too new.

Sophie steps out of my car and toward my—well, her new car. Her smile spreads instantly, her eyes wide and bright, and I can’t help grinning. The car isn’t huge, but she looks so small standing next to it. She's not that short, but she's so slight that I find myself making a mental note to feed her a proper steak sometime.

“Wow, Micah. This car is so pretty! I can’t imagine you driving a white car.” she exclaims, almost bouncing. “It’s my favorite color.”

I make another mental note.

I toss her the keys, and she practically skips to the driver’s side before sliding in. I follow, settling into the passenger seat.

“Micah, this is amazing. Are you sure you trust me to take care of it?” she asks, still looking around the interior like she can’t believe it.

It’s yours, I want to say. But I keep it casual. “Yeah, of course. If anything comes up, just let me know.”

She studies the dashboard, her smile faltering slightly.

“Micah, is this a new car?” she asks, suspicious.

“No,” I lie.

“There’s less than thirty miles on it,” she says, narrowing her eyes at the odometer. “And it smells like a brand new car.”

I give her my best innocent look. “I told you. I don’t use it. And you promised, remember? Thanks again, Soph. You’re really doing me a solid.”

“You’re so stubborn.” She mutters quietly, still staring at the odometer.

“Micah.” Her voice is different now. Flat.

“Soph—“

“You bought this for me.”