The Wildflower (Completed) (Southern Nights)

Chapter 18

“The Heart of a Wildflower”

2012 All Rights Reserved

Chapter 18

When Elizabeth first stepped outside of her house she told herself not to look over in the direction of her damaged car. She was in a good mood and she didn’t want to have to see the visual hatred that someone had left for her.

The only problem was when she told herself to do something, she automatically did the opposite. Before she could stop herself, she turned her head and stopped dead in her tracks.

Her eyes took in the shattered windshield, the insulting graffiti, the broken headlights and the list went on and on…

Her car had not only been destroyed- it had been obliterated.

It didn't help that she could feel Zeb watching her either; watching, waiting to see how she would react.

She didn’t want to react. She didn’t want the good mood that Zeb had put her in to end.

But it was a lost cause. One look and she was on the verge of tears again.

Tearing her gaze away from the dilapidated car, she honed in on Zeb’s mustang. If she could just make it to his car, she felt like she just might have a chance of holding it together. Elizabeth picked up her pace struggling to keep the tears at bay. She didn’t want to cry anymore. She was sick and tired of crying over things that she couldn’t control.

Approaching the car, she grabbed the handle and jerked the door open. Still fighting the urge to just break down and cry, she slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut behind her.

She was careful to keep her eyes facing forward not looking at anything in particular. The other door opened and she could only assume that it was Zeb taking his place in the driver’s seat. Reaching behind her, she pulled down the seat belt so that it crossed over her chest and fastened it so that she was properly buckled in.

“Lizzie,” she heard Zeb sigh and made the mistake of looking up at him.

“I told you that everything is going to be okay. I’ve already called Bobby down at the garage. He’s coming by in the morning to tow the car to his shop and will take care of the damage.”

Elizabeth couldn't hide her outrage. How dare he? How dare he do something like that without discussing it first with her? Seething, she balled her hands into fists and pressed them down into her lap just to keep herself from taking a swing at the arrogant man sitting to the left of her.

“You had no right!” She told him accusingly, reigning in the worst of her anger.

“What do you mean I had no right, Lizzie?” Zeb looked affronted. When he made the call he had only been trying to take some of the stress off her. “I’m just trying to help you.”

“I don’t want that type of help,” she exclaimed furiously. “I only carried collision insurance on the car since I paid for it out if my pockets. There is no way that I will be able to afford what it would take to even make that scrap of metal drivable now. You need to call Bobby back and tell him never mind. I’ll figure out something else.”

Zeb narrowed his eyes. “Sweetheart, listen to me,” he said softly. ”I will pay for it.”

“No! No, no, no. No way am I letting you put down that type of cash for me,” she vehemently protested.

“Don’t be stupid, Elizabeth. Now is not the time to let your pride get the best of you. You have to have a way to get back and forth to work, right? I have plenty of money that is not doing anything except sitting in a bank account collecting interest. Please, let me just do this one thing for you. It’s no hardship, I promise.”