Cate had never been comfortable driving. The world moving too fast, the way the engine hummed beneath her, the blaring horns of impatient drivers—it was all too much. Sure, she could have gotten her license years ago, but every time she thought about getting behind the wheel, her stomach twisted into knots. Why rush? She didn’t need to drive. She preferred being a passenger princess anyway. It was safer, less stressful, and—let's be honest—way more glamorous than white-knuckling it through traffic.

But today, here she was. The wheel beneath her fingers felt like it could slip away at any moment, and every lane change felt like a mini panic attack. So, naturally, when the idiot in front of her slammed on their brakes, Cate had no time to react. The screech of rubber against asphalt pierced her thoughts as her car lurched forward, slamming into the rear of the vehicle ahead.

“Great,” she muttered, already imagining how her mom was going to yell at her for screwing up. Her heart hammered in her chest as she scrambled out of her car, already bracing for the explosion of anger she was about to face. The other driver—no, woman—stormed out of her car, fury flashing in her eyes. Cate swallowed hard, her palms suddenly slick with sweat. Wonderful. She’s about to get chewed out.

But then, she caught the woman’s gaze. Her own face flushed, and her words spilled out in a frantic rush.

“I—I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice trembling. She could feel her cheeks heating up, tears pricking behind her eyes. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to cry, but it was like everything she’d been holding in for the last few weeks just burst out all at once. “I didn’t mean to—”

Before she could finish, the other woman froze, her angry expression softening. Cate’s wide, tear-brimmed eyes must’ve done something to her. The woman’s posture eased, and she took a hesitant step forward.

“Hey, it’s just a little fender bender. Don’t worry about it.” she said, voice gentle somehow. “Are you okay?"

Cate blinked rapidly, the sting of tears threatening to spill over. Her emotions had been on edge all day, and now—after all that worrying—this stranger was being kind to her? Cate’s chest tightened, and she let out a shaky breath, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I’m…I’m okay. I just…didn’t mean to ruin your day.”

The woman gave her a reassuring smile, her earlier anger completely gone. “No biggie. Why don’t you let me make it up to you with a coffee?”

Cate blinked, stunned by the offer. Seriously? She’d just hit this woman’s car, and she was offering coffee? The nerves in Cate’s chest began to settle, and she let out a shaky laugh. Maybe driving wasn’t so bad if it meant meeting someone like this.