Read Online Reclaim: A Recovered Innocence Novel by Beth Yarnall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beth Yarnall
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up and down the street. “We need to get out of here. Give me your keys.”
I hand them over and he helps me into the car. It doesn’t occur to me until we’ve pulled away from the curb that I did indeed let him take charge and it doesn’t feel weird or frightening. It feels…comfortable. Safe. I don’t look too hard at that or at how reassuring it is to have him next to me in the car right now. He handles my car with ease and competence.
“Do you have the USB cable for your phone?” he asks.
His question confuses me for a second and then I remember the photos I took. “Yeah.”
He takes an unfamiliar series of turns and I realize he’s taking me to his apartment. Of course. I drove. He’ll probably upload the pictures from my phone and send me on my way. That’s good. The way I’m feeling I’m not so sure it’s a good idea that we’re alone. This is what I wanted. So why do I suddenly feel abandoned?
“Are you hungry? Do you want to grab some food?”
He glances at me sharply. I don’t know where his head was at, but my questions seem to throw him.
“I’m hungry and I want to know what’s on the SD card you pulled from the camera,” I explain.
Some of my anxiety about being alone must’ve come through my voice because he takes my hand, prying it away from the other one where it was all twisted up.
He gives it a squeeze. “Yeah. Debbie’s cookies aren’t sitting real well with me either. How about In-N-Out?”
The familiar red-and-yellow sign is lit up in the distance.
“Sounds good.”
He maneuvers the car into the right lane and turns into the drive-thru. We give our order to the employee who’s going car-to-car to make the long line go faster, and he punches it into the tablet he’s holding. Nolan eases the car forward and rolls the window back up.
“You okay? I know you weren’t very comfortable with what we did back there.”
“
Not comfortable
is putting it mildly. I’ve never ever broken the law before.”
“Never? Not even once?”
“No. Not even a traffic ticket.”
“You’re kidding.”
I shake my head. “I’m not.”
“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was such a straight arrow.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s cool. I’ve just never met anyone who hasn’t messed up at least once.” He shifts in his seat, propping his elbow on the door and rubbing his chin. “What I do must seem really bad to you. Are you looking at me differently now?”
“A little. Yes.”
“And not in a good way.”
I shake my head again.
“Damn. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m likely to do something that skates the line between legal and illegal again. Probably more than once before we’re through here. Are you going to be okay with that? ’Cause if not then maybe we should think about you not coming with me while I’m investigating this case.”
“I don’t know. I’m not really sure I’m okay with what
I
did today. I stole from a man. I looked through his things.”
“Technically you didn’t steal. Neither of us did. We copied things and took photos, but we didn’t take anything. Debbie let us into that office. There was no breaking and entering. And I did replace the SD card in the camera with a blank one so again technically nothing was taken. Just switched out.”
“That is a mighty thin line you walk.”
“I can live with it. Can you?”
“I don’t know. I’m struggling with it. I know what you’re saying is true. Everything is there exactly like it was before we walked in except for the SD card.
Technically.
I’ve never had to add a qualifier like that to anything I’ve ever done. It feels weird.”
“Maybe we should concentrate on what each of us does. Separately. We can meet up later and compare notes.”
He’s giving me an out. The thing is, I’m not sure I want it. This case is my responsibility.
Carla’s
my responsibility. Not that Nolan wouldn’t give me all the
I hand them over and he helps me into the car. It doesn’t occur to me until we’ve pulled away from the curb that I did indeed let him take charge and it doesn’t feel weird or frightening. It feels…comfortable. Safe. I don’t look too hard at that or at how reassuring it is to have him next to me in the car right now. He handles my car with ease and competence.
“Do you have the USB cable for your phone?” he asks.
His question confuses me for a second and then I remember the photos I took. “Yeah.”
He takes an unfamiliar series of turns and I realize he’s taking me to his apartment. Of course. I drove. He’ll probably upload the pictures from my phone and send me on my way. That’s good. The way I’m feeling I’m not so sure it’s a good idea that we’re alone. This is what I wanted. So why do I suddenly feel abandoned?
“Are you hungry? Do you want to grab some food?”
He glances at me sharply. I don’t know where his head was at, but my questions seem to throw him.
“I’m hungry and I want to know what’s on the SD card you pulled from the camera,” I explain.
Some of my anxiety about being alone must’ve come through my voice because he takes my hand, prying it away from the other one where it was all twisted up.
He gives it a squeeze. “Yeah. Debbie’s cookies aren’t sitting real well with me either. How about In-N-Out?”
The familiar red-and-yellow sign is lit up in the distance.
“Sounds good.”
He maneuvers the car into the right lane and turns into the drive-thru. We give our order to the employee who’s going car-to-car to make the long line go faster, and he punches it into the tablet he’s holding. Nolan eases the car forward and rolls the window back up.
“You okay? I know you weren’t very comfortable with what we did back there.”
“
Not comfortable
is putting it mildly. I’ve never ever broken the law before.”
“Never? Not even once?”
“No. Not even a traffic ticket.”
“You’re kidding.”
I shake my head. “I’m not.”
“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was such a straight arrow.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s cool. I’ve just never met anyone who hasn’t messed up at least once.” He shifts in his seat, propping his elbow on the door and rubbing his chin. “What I do must seem really bad to you. Are you looking at me differently now?”
“A little. Yes.”
“And not in a good way.”
I shake my head again.
“Damn. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m likely to do something that skates the line between legal and illegal again. Probably more than once before we’re through here. Are you going to be okay with that? ’Cause if not then maybe we should think about you not coming with me while I’m investigating this case.”
“I don’t know. I’m not really sure I’m okay with what
I
did today. I stole from a man. I looked through his things.”
“Technically you didn’t steal. Neither of us did. We copied things and took photos, but we didn’t take anything. Debbie let us into that office. There was no breaking and entering. And I did replace the SD card in the camera with a blank one so again technically nothing was taken. Just switched out.”
“That is a mighty thin line you walk.”
“I can live with it. Can you?”
“I don’t know. I’m struggling with it. I know what you’re saying is true. Everything is there exactly like it was before we walked in except for the SD card.
Technically.
I’ve never had to add a qualifier like that to anything I’ve ever done. It feels weird.”
“Maybe we should concentrate on what each of us does. Separately. We can meet up later and compare notes.”
He’s giving me an out. The thing is, I’m not sure I want it. This case is my responsibility.
Carla’s
my responsibility. Not that Nolan wouldn’t give me all the
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