“I wanted to remind myself why I couldn’t go down that path. I’m not good at the whole relationship thing.”
“I know. You’ve told me several times.”
“Right. Mostly, I have my shit together, but when it comes to commitments, I’m a mess.”
“The SEALs weren’t a commitment? SSI isn’t a commitment?”
“That’s different, and you know it.”
I did. Matt wasn’t afraid of commitment; he was afraid of emotional commitment. Given what he’d told me, I could hardly blame him. Since I didn’t want a commitment either, I accepted his apology.
“Thank you for explaining.” And offered mine. “I’m sorry I overreacted. It’s a bit of a sore spot.”
“Really, I hadn’t noticed.” His grin confirmed his teasing tone.
“Shut up.” I smacked his arm.
“Careful, or O.P. will get a shot of my black eye.”
He usually drank regular black coffee. Why’d he need two shots of espresso?
“Rough night?”
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“Me either,” I admitted. “Thanks again for the coffee.” I glanced at the dashboard clock. “We should get going.”
“Give me two shakes to get to my truck.”
“Matt?”
“Yeah?”
“Friends?”
“Friends.”
I love how the skin around his dark brown eyes wrinkled when his smile reached them.
The day was uneventful. Sick kids who cried during their appointments. Sick adults whose whining was worse than the crying.It’s that time of year; everyone’s sick and miserable.
I tried not to think about Paul, but my curiosity won.
During a break, I asked, “Hey Alice, did Mr. Bunson schedule any appointments?”
“No.”
Maybe he finally got the hint. Maybe he wasn’t responsible for the fires. No one at SSI believed in coincidences, but that didn’t mean they didn’t happen.
During lunch, I wanted to stretch my legs, so I asked Matt if he wanted to take a walk.No way in hell am I asking for permission.
“Sure. Do you have a normal route?”
“No. Why?”
“If you did, I would’ve suggested changing it.”
“Right.” Changing up the path of your daily commute was Safety 101. “I don’t take walks very often, but I could use the fresh air.”
