I’ve succumbed to the real possibility that one day I’ll come home to her wasted-away body dead on the floor.
I slowly look back over my shoulder to her standing at the bottom of the stairs in a white beach-looking dress, hair curly, like what black women look like when they don’t try to deny the fact that their hair is meant to have life. It distracts a bit from the gauntly look in her face, much like the loose dress hiding her bony body, except her arms. They still look like a skeleton covered in a thin layer of brown skin.
“I’m going to town for some supplies.”
“Mind if I ride along?”
Of course I mind if she rides along. “It’s just the hardware store.”
“Works for me.” She smiles.
She has no life.
As soon as we pull out of the drive, she slips off her sandals and tucks her legs underneath her, staring out her window. Since weeks of silence has been broken, I expect her driveling to commence, but she seems quite enamored with the view as we make our way off Tybee.
“So beautiful,” she whispers. I don’t think her comment was meant for me to hear.
I clear my throat along with the unwelcome thoughts of her in my head. “I’ll be starting on the upstairs in a few days. It’s the last project before I leave. So all of our bedroom furniture will need to be moved out so I can work on the floors. You can take the sofa sleeper.”
She turns to me. “Where will you sleep?”
“I’ll stick a cot in the kitchen.”
She laughs, looking back out the window. “You can put your ‘cot’ by the sofa. I’m used to your snoring.”
“I don’t snore.”
“You do. I hear it when both of our bedroom windows are open.”
“I don’t—”
“You totally do. It’s so loud it could be its own instrument in your imaginary band.”
Rolling my lips together, I keep my focus on the road, but I can feel her looking at me, and I know she’s smiling.
“Oh, Theodore Reed…” She sighs and leans back, seemingly quite content. “You are a labyrinth—an onion with infinite layers. If given the chance, I think I could really miss you someday.” Her eyes close with a soft smile gracing her face.
What does she mean by that?
CHAPTER TWELVE
My name is Scarlet Stone and I steal random stuff and plant it in the sparkly rucksacks of mean girls, then report them as thieves so they get in trouble. Karma is my religion.
Scarlet
“I’ll buy youlunch.” Theo pulls into the car park of a café.
“You don’t usually eat lunch.”
He turns off his truck and pins me with a serious look.
I shrug. “Fine. You’re hungry today. I’m just along for the ride.” I get out.
He opens the door to the café for me.
“Thank you, sir.” I wink.
He shakes his head and mutters something I can’t quite understand.
