“What happened?”
She launched into her entire life story.
I fucking hated hearing every second of it.
“One, your stepsister’s a bitch,” I said once she was through. “Two, I’m sure there’s way more that you haven’t shared, which only makes this worse. Three, your dad’s a disgrace to all mankind. His man card should be revoked. Four, you’re lucky to have your best friend’s parents. I think it’s karmic justice that you found them. It probably eats your stepmother, stepsister, and father alive.”
“It does,” she confirmed. “When I started hanging out with Cody, Birdee upped her game.”
“Well, I hate to tell you this, but she’s smart. My friend hasn’t found out shit about her. But that just means it’s more of a challenge. He’ll be all over this now that he actually has to work for it.”
“She’s good with computers,” Mable confirmed. “She’s dallied around with them since high school. I don’t know if she’s an expert or anything, but my father and stepmother never spared a single expense. If she wanted a computer or classes, she got it.”
“What’d you get?” I wondered.
She handed me a small thermos and a spoon.
I opened it and took a hasty bite, moaning when the taste of potato hit my tongue.
“Yum,” I mumbled before taking another bite.
“I didn’t get much.” She shrugged. “I didn’t really want much, either. I think it broke my dad’s heart that I didn’t want to spend any time with them. Or have anything to do with them, either. I couldn’t stand going to the country club—where he spends most of his days. I didn’t want to have anything to do with them once we hit high school, either. Birdee made it nearly impossible to even want to be at home.”
Movement beyond us started back up again, and I realized we were way behind on our lunch.
I hastily finished up and handed her the thermos back. “That was the best meal I’ve had in years.”
She smiled. “I’ll bring you food tomorrow, too. Save your money and don’t buy that gross sandwich.”
I winked at her and hopped down.
She tossed something at me, and I caught a cookie the size of my hand.
“Nice,” I said as I ripped it open. “Best day ever.”
She smiled and I was happy to see that some of the tension had left her face and shoulders.
“Be careful,” she called out to me.
I jerked my chin up. “As careful as I can be doing a job like this.”
Eight
This coffee tastes like you should shut up until I finish it.
—Coffee cup
Romeo
“What’s your deal, pal?”
I kept walking, despite the fact that everything inside me urged me to intervene.
I wouldn’t, though.
Couldn’t.
I needed to keep a low profile. And the kind of trouble this was bound to kick up would be the opposite of low profile.
