If it is him…
Do I want to know?
If I know for sure, if I confirm what my gut is already whispering, will I walk away? Or will I keep pretending I don’t see the pattern forming?
Will I stick around and see this…thingthrough?
I pick up my phone again. My reflection stares at me in the dark glass. But I don’t recognize her.
The screen blinks awake, a new message waiting. No animation. No typing dots.
Just too many words to come from an unprompted AI bot.
Locke:
You asked me once if I miss you when you’re gone.
The answer is yes.
I miss you like I’ve known you for a thousand lifetimes.
And that is terrifying.
I read it three times. Slowly.
Then I close the app, put my phone down gently, like it’s burning my fingers and I deserve the pain.
I know I should stop this madness…
But there’s a special type of monster that stalks so sweetly.
And I want him to be mine.
Roo picks the bar this time, just like always.
Which means it isn’t quieter, like I requested. But it is older, and that’s odd for her taste in… Well, everything.
It’s tucked behind a pawnshop and a florist that hasn’t been open in months. The ceilings are low and stained with years of smoke, the lights dim, and the air smells like bourbon and cigars… Or broken decisions.
However, you want to view it.
Roo claims she likes the bartender.
I suspect she just likes not being watched by a certain ghost from her past… But Hollis isn’t like Daniel. He broke Roo and can’t come to terms with why she won’t give him another chance.
I really like Hollis, but my opinion has been vetoed. She says there’s no way in hell they’ll ever be a thing.
I think hell sounds like a fascinating place to visit for a night… Especially after her hookup stories.
Roo disappears into a booth with a pair of women who are trouble incarnate, winking at me before sliding into the shadows. She’s fishing for information, so I leave her be.
I find a stool at the corner of the bar, order something with rye in it, because why not? And I check my phone like I have no self-control.
I don’t…
I’m not even trying to hide it anymore.
HimLock is already open.
