Cole looked like he didn’t believe me but didn’t comment on it.
“Well, send us a text when you decide if you’re coming, yeah? Lottie sent me out here because everyone else had already left town for the lake. She was hoping I could convince you to come out. She’s worried about you. You didn’t respond to anyone’s messages or calls yesterday.”
I nodded unsure what to say without sounding like a terrible friend. I knew she was worried, knew I should have been reading and responding to all the text messages I’d received. But when planning my demise, I hadn’t given myself any room for maintaining relationships that were about to end.
“Well, I’m going to get on the road before it gets any later. I’ll come by on Monday to check the bike.” Cole stood to face Enoch with his hand outstretched. “It was nice meeting you, Nox.”
“Yeah, you too, man.”
Cole gave me a wave on his way to the door, and we both watched him leave. I moved to quickly lock the door and when I spun around to face Enoch he was giving me a concerned look.
“What?” I shrugged, stepping into the kitchen to get the gun. I removed the magazine and reloaded the last bullet.
“You have a gun?”
I licked my lips, focused on my task. “Yeah. Don’t worry. I know how to use it safely.”
I replaced the magazine in the gun, making sure it was loaded like Bradley insisted on, and passed Enoch as I walked to my bedroom. I placed the gun back inside its usual home, my bedside table drawer.
“Do you conceal carry, too?”
I turned to find Enoch watching me from the doorway.
“Uh, no.”
When he held my stare, my armpits started to sweat. Fuck. Had he looked inside my backpack yesterday? I could tell he had more questions.
“Does that bother you? That I own a gun.”
He folded his arms across his chest, drawing my attention to his muscles. I flicked my gaze back to his and he smirked.Shitbird.
“I think it bothers me that you feel the need to own a weapon to keep yourself safe,” he said his smiling turning sad.
My eyes narrowed. “It’s not just tofeelsafe. It’s the only chance I have at surviving if they find me.”
“Right. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just the whole situation is…I’m just sorry you’re in this position at all.”
I shrugged, closing the drawer and taking a seat on the edge of my bed.
“It is what it is.”
He nodded solemnly. A beat of silence passed before he spoke. “Two weeks ago. Like, two weeks ago Saturday? The day we met?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened? Why didn’t you wear your gear?”
I sighed. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was just in a rush to get out of the gym. Probably in a little bit of shock and someone cut in front of me on the highway. I lost control and slid off the road.”
Enoch grimaced. “That sounds bad. Did you go to the hospital?”
I shook my head and his eyes bugged. “Shiloh that’s insane. How bad is the road rash?”
“It’sfine.”
“Can I see it?” He asked with a pleading gaze.
I wasn’t about to argue with him about it, so I rolled up the sleeves to my shirt to my elbows.
