on my way.”
She glances behind her again before going to her trunk and opening it.
“You’re acting sketchy and people will wonder what’s up,” I say. “Not that anyone in this neighborhood would care.”
“Sorry if I’m not used to passing drugs to people,” she hisses as she digs in her trunk, closes her fist around my stuff, and hands it to me.
I push it into my pocket. “My phone?”
“It’s in my house. I’ll have to go get it, but my brother’s home. Do you mind waiting here?” She’s back to that sweet voice. The girl next door that so contrasts the ghosts.
“Really?” I wonder about the hold her brother has on her. Why she would feel like she needs to hide the fact that she accidentally has my phone. “Afraid he’ll think you’re being a bad girl?”
At that she slams her trunk and I wonder if it’s the first time in her life she’s ever been mad. The tight lips and narrowed eyes look so foreign on her face.
“No. I just don’t want him to know about what happened last night. He already doesn’t like the idea that I work nights and that would make it worse. Not that it’s any of your business or anything.”
She tries to walk around me, but I step in front of her. “Wait. You’re going back to work there?”
She sighs and drops her head back. “Oh God, not you too. Do I have ‘please take care of me’ written across my forehead?”
“No, but maybe you should if you’re going back to work there alone. Are they hiring security or anything?”
Not my business. Not my business. Not my business
.
“My boss is a tightwad, so I doubt it. It’s not as though they’re going to rob the same place twice, Adrian.”
It’s like a little shock to hear my name roll off her tongue. I don’t know why. I think she feels it, too, as I see her swallow.
“I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t shown up?” What would have happened if I had been a few seconds later, like I had been with Ash. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. There’s only a thin chalk line separating the two—nothing and everything. All it takes is a hand to wipe it away.
“Big strong man saves helpless woman?” she huffs, and tries to walk away again. For some reason, it makes me want to smile. I don’t know where it comes from, but maybe she reminds me of Casper in more ways than one. It’s funny watching the friendly ghost trying to be mad. “If you’ll move out of my way, I’ll go get your phone.”
I don’t know what makes me do it, but I step aside. I lean against the trunk of her car. The longer she’s gone, the more I wonder why I care. It’s her fault if she wants to go work there again. I don’t have it in me to watch over anyone. If I couldn’t take care of a two-year-old, I don’t know what in the hell makes me think I can do it with anyone else.
Or why I would want to try.
I flex my fingers, remembering the care she took on my hand. How her fingers felt. What it would have been like to let myself feel it.
“Here’s your phone.” She thrusts it into my palm. I didn’t even hear her come back.
She opens her mouth to say something, but it’s cut off when another female voice pops in with a “Hi.”
I groan, wishing like hell I had gotten out of here before this happened. Meetings come with questions and questions have no place in my life.
Delaney turns and standing there is Cheyenne and Colt.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Nothing.” Cheyenne looks at me. Delaney. Back at me.
Damn it. It’s different with her. Or a lot of people maybe. There’s a difference between trying to look below the surface and trying to see something that isn’t there. Cheyenne’s going to want the make-believe. She’ll want to see something here that’s not.
When it’s obvious I’m not going to say anything, she holds out her hand. “Hey. We’re Adrian’s friends. I’m Cheyenne. This is my boyfriend, Colt.”
Delaney holds out her hand. “Um… hi. I’m Delaney. Nice to meet
She glances behind her again before going to her trunk and opening it.
“You’re acting sketchy and people will wonder what’s up,” I say. “Not that anyone in this neighborhood would care.”
“Sorry if I’m not used to passing drugs to people,” she hisses as she digs in her trunk, closes her fist around my stuff, and hands it to me.
I push it into my pocket. “My phone?”
“It’s in my house. I’ll have to go get it, but my brother’s home. Do you mind waiting here?” She’s back to that sweet voice. The girl next door that so contrasts the ghosts.
“Really?” I wonder about the hold her brother has on her. Why she would feel like she needs to hide the fact that she accidentally has my phone. “Afraid he’ll think you’re being a bad girl?”
At that she slams her trunk and I wonder if it’s the first time in her life she’s ever been mad. The tight lips and narrowed eyes look so foreign on her face.
“No. I just don’t want him to know about what happened last night. He already doesn’t like the idea that I work nights and that would make it worse. Not that it’s any of your business or anything.”
She tries to walk around me, but I step in front of her. “Wait. You’re going back to work there?”
She sighs and drops her head back. “Oh God, not you too. Do I have ‘please take care of me’ written across my forehead?”
“No, but maybe you should if you’re going back to work there alone. Are they hiring security or anything?”
Not my business. Not my business. Not my business
.
“My boss is a tightwad, so I doubt it. It’s not as though they’re going to rob the same place twice, Adrian.”
It’s like a little shock to hear my name roll off her tongue. I don’t know why. I think she feels it, too, as I see her swallow.
“I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t shown up?” What would have happened if I had been a few seconds later, like I had been with Ash. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. There’s only a thin chalk line separating the two—nothing and everything. All it takes is a hand to wipe it away.
“Big strong man saves helpless woman?” she huffs, and tries to walk away again. For some reason, it makes me want to smile. I don’t know where it comes from, but maybe she reminds me of Casper in more ways than one. It’s funny watching the friendly ghost trying to be mad. “If you’ll move out of my way, I’ll go get your phone.”
I don’t know what makes me do it, but I step aside. I lean against the trunk of her car. The longer she’s gone, the more I wonder why I care. It’s her fault if she wants to go work there again. I don’t have it in me to watch over anyone. If I couldn’t take care of a two-year-old, I don’t know what in the hell makes me think I can do it with anyone else.
Or why I would want to try.
I flex my fingers, remembering the care she took on my hand. How her fingers felt. What it would have been like to let myself feel it.
“Here’s your phone.” She thrusts it into my palm. I didn’t even hear her come back.
She opens her mouth to say something, but it’s cut off when another female voice pops in with a “Hi.”
I groan, wishing like hell I had gotten out of here before this happened. Meetings come with questions and questions have no place in my life.
Delaney turns and standing there is Cheyenne and Colt.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Nothing.” Cheyenne looks at me. Delaney. Back at me.
Damn it. It’s different with her. Or a lot of people maybe. There’s a difference between trying to look below the surface and trying to see something that isn’t there. Cheyenne’s going to want the make-believe. She’ll want to see something here that’s not.
When it’s obvious I’m not going to say anything, she holds out her hand. “Hey. We’re Adrian’s friends. I’m Cheyenne. This is my boyfriend, Colt.”
Delaney holds out her hand. “Um… hi. I’m Delaney. Nice to meet
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