The streets of Michigan held the best car soirees and top dog street races-on top of it all, a life of their own.
What happens when two polar opposite racers collide; the best one from detroit, and one all the way from the city of angels?
I stood outside the flower shop, my fingers grazing the petals of a cluster of cosmos. The scent of roses and fresh stems was lovely, and it reminded me of the small garden we had back in california. My eyes were glued to the screen of my phone, rereading Hyunjin's text for what had to be the third time, if not more.
From: Devil Spawn [5:23 pm] 'Saw Ryujin earlier at the car shop with Katarina. Looked like they were getting pretty close. Better hurry before you lose your shot ;) Oh, and I might've said something that threw her off... you're gonna kill me hahaha.'
"Close?" What does he mean by close? My stomach tightened, and my fingers involuntarily clenched around my phone. My mind jumped to a thousand conclusions. Were they talking about cars, or was it something more?
I didn't even want to think about the latter.
The worst part wasn't Hyunjin's teasing—he always loved poking at my obvious interest in Ryujin, even if I'd never once admitted it out loud. No, it was the fact that he might be right.
I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, my thoughts racing as fast as Ryujin's car at the street races. Was I too late? Had Katarina already staked her claim like she always did? I had no idea what their relationship was like now, but I knew their history. and I know Kat didn't want me to get in the way.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to refocus on the task at hand. I found this little shop when I drove around town the other day, and now I'm here because I'd like to get something for Ryujin. Get-well-soon flowers, technically, because of what happened to her last time. She never told me why still, but I think I did well trying to look after her.
That was the excuse I'd told myself for coming to this shop, as if I wasn't doing it just to have a reason to see her. I wanted to see how she was holding up. I wanted to make sure she was okay. But now, more than ever, I just wanted to see her.
As if I don't see her everyday for crying out loud.
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The florist approached with a smile, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I quickly picked out a custom mini bouquet of white cosmos and blue daisies, hoping Ryujin would appreciate the simplicity. I paid, clutching on to the bouquet. Before Hyunjin's text, I was supposed to drop this off to her studio. Now, I just know I had to go to the car shop.
By the time I reached the address Hyunjin gave me, the sun had set, and the sky was a deep indigo streaked with the last prints of the sun. The car shop's neon sign was too bright not to notice.
The nervousness coiled tighter in my chest as I parked and stepped out, bouquet still in hand. I walked in and was greeted by Smoke, who was wiping his hands on a grease-stained rag, his face smudged with oil. He looked tired but still gave me a knowing smile when he saw me.
