It was a cloudy afternoon in Jacksonville, and Jake was lounging on the couch, halfway through a bag of chips, when Gaby stormed into the living room with her arm in a cast and a very determined look on her face.

“Jake,” she said, already grabbing her keys off the counter with her good hand, “I need you to do something for me.”

Jake looked up. “You want me to go grab the remote that’s literally two feet away from you again?”

“No,” she said, clearly unamused. “I need to go to the liquor store. It’s right around the corner, but I can’t drive with my arm like this. Mom and Dad are gone. So… you’re driving.”

Jake sat up fast, his eyes wide. “You’re serious?”

Gaby raised an eyebrow. “I’ll tell you exactly what to do, just don’t crash us into a mailbox.”

Jake grinned. “Don’t gotta ask me twice.”

“Wait, really?” she blinked. “You’re not even gonna hesitate?”

Jake was already slipping on his shoes. “Gaby, I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was like eleven. Let’s go.”

“You better listen to everything I say,” she warned as they headed toward the car. “No speeding, no music, no acting like you’re in Fast & Furious.”

He looked at her with the most innocent face he could fake. “Who, me?”

“You.”

Minutes later, Jake was behind the wheel, adjusting the seat like he’d done it a million times. Gaby was in the passenger seat, cradling her cast and side-eyeing him like a hawk.

“Okay, seatbelt. Start the engine. Now slowly—SLOWLY—back out.”

Jake followed her instructions like a student on a mission. He didn’t say anything, but inside, he felt like a movie hero.

“This is the best illegal thing I’ve ever done,” he mumbled.

Gaby smirked. “I didn’t hear that.”