“We can’t all live in palaces.”
She frowns, “I don’t live in a palace.”
“Compared to this place, I’m sure that’s what it looks like,” I drop my arms, “You ready to go?”
“Um yes, do you have my clothes?”
“It’s in the wash, you can wear that.”
“Okay,” Her cheeks bloom with color, “Well, I’ll just call a cab then.”
“I’ll drive you, Marly,” I cross into the bathroom, “Just give me five to grab a shower and change.”
With her nod, I close myself in the bathroom. Once I’m clean and dressed in new clothes, I walk out to find her sitting on the edge of my bed, her hands folded in her lap, waiting patiently.
She looks out of place in this oil-stained hole, but even realizing it doesn’t lessen how good it feels to have her on my bed.
I grit my teeth at the thought and grunt for her to follow, snatching my keys off the side on the way through. Her steps are light behind me, her breathing soft and once outside, the sun beaming down, hot as fucking hell, I open the passenger door for the jeep and wait for her to get in.
For the first five minutes of the journey it’s silent, she has her head turned to the window, the sun kissing her skin and the wind teasing her hair from the open window.
“Where do you live?” I ask, even though I know. I’ve driven past her house countless times, not because of her but after the fire I found myself lost. I didn’t sleep for weeks and spending time in that garage alone was driving me crazy. I was looking for a reason. Maybe her brother would be out, maybe I’d have easy access to him, but the opportunity never came. I should have known it wouldn’t since he doesn’t even live there, only she does with her parents.
She provides her address and then goes back to looking out the window.
“What are you thinking about?” I eventually ask, the silence making me uncomfortable.
“If you’re going to tell me what happened to your face,” She turns to me, looking directly at the bruising that hasn’t stopped aching all day.
“No,” I grunt, hands tightening on the wheel.
I pull up to her house after ten more minutes of silence and she doesn’t wait for me to get out and open her door.
“Thanks for the ride. And for last night.” With a nod, she turns to the gate and inputs a code, the gate opening automatically for her, and she doesn’t wait to disappear through it. It closes behind her, leaving me on the sidewalk, my car idling behind me.
I can’t see the house from here, not with the ten-foot wall surrounding it but the drive-through gate ahead gives a view so that’s where I go. She’s almost halfway to the house by the time I spot her, her blonde hair blowing out behind her. She doesn’t look back once and yet here I am, watching her until she’s just a small shape against the house and then gone completely.
“Who was the girl, River?” Sadie asks later that evening. I have Logan Junior in my arms, napping peacefully against my chest, my nephew is looking more and more like my brother as he grows, with his mop of almost black hair and dark eyes. He’s the perfect mix of Sadie and Logan and I am beyond grateful every day that I have a small piece of my brother still here.
Sadie had just found out she was pregnant when Logan died.
“Marly,” I answer.
“Marly who?”
“You got enough cash?” I change the subject, not wanting Sadie to know exactly who she is. I don’t know how she’ll react, but this is for her as much as it is for me.
“Marly who!?” She snaps.
“You don’t want to know, Sadie,” I sigh, “Just leave it.”
“Is she your girlfriend?” She asks, straightening out the throw blanket on the back of the couch.
“No.”
“Do you want her to be?”
I scoff, “No.”
