My car won't move forward. I'm confused as I press the gas. I need to keep moving but the tires spin with no results. My car still works fine, but the tires, they're spinning in midair.

What's going on?

Looking down a few feet at the ground, I try to gain perspective. I'm sitting pretty high. This weird angle is very scary. Glad I wore my seat belt. How in the world is this possible? When I look left, at Phoenix's house, fear penetrates every cell in my being. I've got to get out of here! This must look crazy! Sirens ring inside my head. To my right is the condo community and then, it dawns on me; I've driven my car onto one of the boulders that sit at the entrance of the parking lot! These boulders are tall! My car is suspended at least four and half feet in the air!

This will not end well! You're in serious trouble!

My car is suspended at a forty-five-degree angle, over four feet in the air, at the parking lot entrance, directly across the street from Phoenix's front door! Flashes of heat travel through my body as I sit here not able to fully wrap my head around what I've gotten myself into. I'm so embarrassed. I could die right here. Dying would be easier than living through this.

God, please don't let his neighbors come out! Please don't let anyone leave their house right now. Get me out of this, please!

Try rocking the car, maybe the tires will gain traction and you can drive right off this rock.

I put the car in reverse.

Good. We're moving back.

I break, then quickly put the car in drive.

OK. We're moving forward. Now do that faster!

I do it again, this time faster. Too bad I end up the same place I started. Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Maybe a kind neighbor will take pity on me and help me.

It's two in the morning. What neighbor is gonna get out bed to help you, you big dummy!

It's worth a try! I have to do something! Phoenix can't find me like this!

I jump out of my car and ring the first doorbell I see. I wait impatiently tapping my feet. This is urgent! I bang on the door, hoping someone will come. No answer. I go to the next condo. Ring the doorbell. Wait. No answer. I go next door. Ring the doorbell frantically. Wait. No answer.

God, please help me!

For the next hour, I ring the doorbell of every house in the entire neighborhood, save Phoenix's house and not a single person answers the door. I'm toast! Phoenix is an early riser. He'll be up soon!

What to do? What to do? What do you do?

I call Mia. I call Penelope. No answer from either one of them! I pop the trunk and pull out my jack.

This will do it!

Why didn't you think of this before?

Doesn't matter. Let's get this car down.

I position the jack underneath my car on the ground and crank the pump. The jack gets taller and taller and taller. Then stops. It can't go any further. It's cranked as tall as it can get, but it's not tall enough. The jack never reaches the underside of my car. It's too short.

The hope that I'll get out of this in one piece, falters.

Think!

I reverse the crank, making the jack as compact as I can get it.

Maybe! Position the jack between the rock and the car, instead of the ground and the car. Try to lift it that way.

Placing the jack between the huge boulder and my car, I crank it. The jack bridges the distance between the two. I jump for joy and continue cranking.

What a relief! Whew!

But my dancing is halted. Hold up. What's happening?

The rocky surface of the boulder makes the tiny jack slide. I can't get it stable enough to lift my car. No matter where I position it, it slips when I need it to be still. I keep trying until it's completely hopeless. Running out of options, I concede.

This will be so funny ten years from now. I promise you! Let's just laugh now. Ha, ha, ha.

Are you going crazy? Ten years from now is not now! What do I do now!?! Phoenix will find me like this! Do something!

Defeated, I look longingly at his house.

Say your last goodbyes. That's what you can do.

I know it's over when he finds me like this. I went way too far. Not trusting him. Spying on him.

Is this love or what? You're head over heels in love. An out of control hot mess.

"I love you Phoenix! I'm so sorry I couldn't be a better girlfriend." I wave goodbye at his front door and as I do, it opens!

"Oh. My. God!" I want to faint.

Phoenix steps out. He waves back. Then a puzzled expression takes over as he slowly realizes who I am and what has happened to my car. He laughs insanely loud, for a very long, embarrassing amount of time. It seems like forever.

Then something crazy happens. I join him, laughing so hard, my side hurts.

He walks across the street pointing at me, doubled over in knots. No words. Just laughter. Pure. Belly deep. Laughter. He's pointing. I'm pointing. I'm shaking my head in shame. He's shaking his in disbelief. He meets me in front of the BMW. Neither one of us can stop laughing or smiling. It's like there are wires tying the corners of our mouths tightly to our ears.

"Wow!"

"Wow. You got me! I'm caught."

"What have you gotten yourself into?" He looks from me, to the car, back to me.

I take a deep breath. "I messed up so bad, I —"

"Let me get my jack. I'll get you off this rock." He leaves and goes to his garage, returning with a monstrous super jack.

"My little rinky-dink jack is no match for that. Hell, it was no match for this!" I exclaim, pointing to the boulder.

"Alright. Step back." He motions for me to stand behind him. He positions the super jack under the car, lifting the underbody of the car, off the boulder. This allows the tire to now rest on the boulder. "Get in the car and put it in reverse," he instructs.

I do as he says and finally, after over five hours of total and complete, armpit-soaking stress, I'm freed from my own trap by the very person I was trying to catch.

"You look exhausted," he observes.

I get out and kick the tire. "I've been up all night trying to get myself out of this catastrophe before you could find me."

"You failed, smartass!" His smile is hopelessly charming.

"I know." I stare at my shoes bashfully.

"Monday is your first day at the office. That's in two days."

I nod not looking up and into his dreamy eyes.

"You must really have a thing for me," he teases.

"It's true," I murmur.

Mocking the whole situation, he puts his hand up to his ear. "Come again?" he asks through a permanent grin.

Feeling like a shy school girl with a serious crush, I take a deep breath. "It's true, Phoenix. I've got a thing for you and it scares me to death. I'm hopelessly in love with you." With those words, my heart breaks free of any restraints. The last of my defenses against love, melt away. I'm all in. What's scary is that I have no idea what I'll do next. I'm operating on total emotion. Logic has no home in this new realm.

He takes me seriously for the first time since he saw me waving outside his door. He steps forward, closing the gap between us. His hand caresses my face as he drinks me in. "So, you feel it too?"

His pull is magnetic. I stare into the endless depths of his beautiful, dark eyes and nod.

"Want to come in?" he asks while rubbing my waist and hips.

I gulp, knowing quite possibly what could come next. I want to come in, but I know I need to take a step back and reflect. Unable to break eye contact, I let him know, "I think I'll go home."

"You're right, get some sleep." He kisses me lightly on the lips and smacks my behind before sending me on my way. "Smartass."

Relieved it's all over, I get in my car and start it. My phone rings just as I drive away from his movie set of a neighborhood. Of course, it's Mia. Now Penelope's on the other line. I click them through on a three-way.

"You won't believe what just happened to me . . . ."

_________________

Present Day

I wonder how Aya's doing. She left the clinic, still in tears. I couldn't do it if I were her. I couldn't let someone bully me into a decision that huge. I just wish she would've listened to me. One day couldn't hurt.

The nurse emerges from behind the doctor's office door. "Aria Davenport. Dr. Weiss will see you now."

I meet her at the door. "Hello," my tone is less than chipper.

"Are you alright?" the nurse asks.

"I'm fine. It's just that, Aya." I point towards the front door. "The girl that just left. It was hard for me to watch her go through that. Her boyfriend kept calling, pressuring her, giving her ultimatums, upsetting her. He pushed her to have an abortion. I just feel so bad for her."

"Yeah. Patient confidentiality. I can't discuss her condition but I didn't see any of that. If I had, I would've suggested she take some time to be sure this was what she wanted."

"That makes it even worse."

She looks down at her clipboard. "What are you here for?"

"A checkup."

She checks off a box on the form. "I see. Here we go." She leads the way.

I follow solemnly.

____________________

A/N: Hey Gals and Guys! We end chapter 41 on a "glad that's over" note. How do you feel about Aria's near "death by humiliation" experience? Please do tell! Vote, Follow & Comment. I appreciate you!