Take Me Instead

Valerie immediately got out of the car.

Gareth also wanted to come down, but Valerie stopped him.

"Thank you."

Her two words meant, "Thank you for driving me here. Since I'm already here, there's no need to trouble you with the rest."

It was the strangeness of her rejecting him.

She didn't want to owe him any favors, so she didn't want to interact with him from the beginning.

Gareth smiled bitterl