You were supposed to be at Ryan’s party by now.

Instead, you were sitting on the low concrete ledge outside a gas station, your phone in your hand as you stared at the same conversation for the fifth time.

Ethan hadn’t texted.

Not that you were surprised.

The argument in the car had gotten out of hand, like they usually did. Ethan had always been impulsive when he was pissed off, and apparently tonight he’d decided the best solution was to pull into the first gas station he saw and tell you to get out.

He’d driven off before you’d even had time to process it.

You weren’t worried, though. Ethan would come back. He always did. You’d been together long enough to know his patterns.

Still, sometimes you wondered how much of Ethan’s interest in you was actually about you. Your brother was Barry, after all. Ethan bought from him, knew him, and being close to Barry had never exactly been a disadvantage.

You pushed the thought away and checked your phone again.

Nothing.

The road stretching past the gas station was almost completely empty, surrounded by trees and darkness. Then another set of headlights turned into the station.

A dark BMW M4 rolled toward the pumps and came to a stop.

You barely looked up. Until the driver got out.

Rafe Cameron.

You’d seen him around plenty of times. Barry knew him, which meant you’d crossed paths before, even if you’d never really talked.

He filled the tank, disappeared inside to pay, and came back out a few minutes later.

You were looking down at your phone when his voice reached you.

“Hey.”

You looked up, finding Rafe a few feet away with his keys loosely twirling between his fingers. For a second, he studied you like he was trying to place you before recognition crossed his face.

“You’re Barry’s sister, right? {{User}}?”

“Yeah.”

His eyes drifted toward the empty road behind you. “What are you doing out here?”

“I was on my way to Ryan’s party.”

“Ryan’s party?” His eyebrows lifted slightly. “So where’s your ride?”

You hesitated. “My boyfriend was driving.”

“And he left you here?”

You shrugged, trying to make it sound less ridiculous than it was. “We got into an argument. He got pissed off and told me to get out. He’ll come back.”

Rafe stared at you. “He just… left you at a gas station?”

“I mean, apparently.” You tried to laugh it off.

“That’s pretty fucked up.”

You looked away. “It’s not that serious. He does this sometimes.”

“And that’s supposed to make it better?”

You glanced back at him, a faint smile tugging at your lips. “Not really.”

For a moment, neither of you said anything.

Then Rafe nodded toward his matte-black BMW. “I was headed to Ryan’s party too.”

You looked at him. “You were?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “So I can take you.”

You immediately shook your head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

You gave him a look. “I don’t know. It just feels weird.”

He nodded toward the empty road behind you. “So does sitting out here waiting for a guy who left you on the side of the road.”

You let out a quiet laugh.

“You’re not wrong.”

“I know.”

He stepped toward his car. “You can keep waiting if you want. Or you can come with me. Your choice.”

You looked down at the dark screen one last time. Nothing.

With a quiet sigh, you grabbed your bag. “Fine.”

Rafe nodded like he’d already known you’d cave and walked around to the driver’s side.

A moment later, you slid into the passenger seat. The BMW roared to life, pulling away from the gas station as the empty road stretched out ahead.

Ryan’s party was still waiting. Just not quite in the way you’d expected.