Lawrence Palillo runs out of the shop before the car is even in park. I stay in the car to towel off as much of the blood as I can off my face. I watch through the windshield as he wraps Courtney in a hug, his face buried in her hair, and whispers words I can’t hear into her ears.
I can tell by the shaking of Courtney’s shoulders that she’s crying.
When I’ve cleaned up as best I can, I step out of the car. Tati sees me and beams, but when she notices my injuries, her jaw drops.
I give her the biggest smile I can muster. Just a bruise. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.
She nods hesitantly, not sure whether to believe me.
Did you have fun? I ask Tati, trying to keep things light with her. I don’t want her to know how close we all were to dying.
She tells me how she and Lawrence color
