“You’re sleeping in your car?”
“Iwassleeping in my car.” She pushes her messy, black waves over her shoulder. “Are you following me?”
“No, but now I’m wondering if maybe I should. I told you this area is going downhill. Crime is on the rise.”
Her white cat waltzes over to her, then to the window, pawing at the glass between us. Avery says something but the glass mufflesit.
“What did you say?”
She rolls her eyes and takes her time cracking the door open, a candy-sweet smell pouring out. “I said:Crime is on the rise? You sound like you’re on the news.”
“If you’d heard someone on the news say it, would you have listened the first time?”
She shrugs as silence falls between us.
I turn on my heel and unlock my car. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“What?”
I nod toward my car. “Follow me.”
“Why? Where?”
Turning back, I bend down so we’re eye to eye. “Because it’s dangerous here, Avery. You’re following me to my house. Now.”
She leans back, rubbing her eyes. “I made it through the night. I’ll be fine.”
She spent the whole night out here? “Absolutely not.”
Her brow pinches as she scans my face, lips parting like she’s about to argue again. Regardless, it’s too late. She’s coming with me, and no attempt to convince me otherwise is going to work. Just when I think she’s going to push back, her hand glides around the handle, and her door closes with a soft click.
Backing away, I ease into my driver’s seat and start the car. When I glance over, she’s sitting in hers waiting for me to make the next move.
Good girl.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AVERY
Dollyboy rubsaround Ty’s ankles as he paces before me. I try to summon the stubborn cat over, but he doesn’t budge. He’s chosen Ty as his new best friend, and there’s nothing I can do about that.
Ty stares down, navigating around the cat as he moves in little circles across the wooden floor of his living room. “Did you hear what I said?”
I drag my eyes up from Dolly to meet Ty’s stare. “Kinda hard to follow what you’re saying with Dolly looking so cute and you making everyone dizzy with your spiral.”
“I’m not spiraling.”
I point to his feet. “You’re pacing in a circle. A spiral.”
“Since you missed it, I said I have more than enough room for you here.” He runs a hand down the back of his neck. “And you can’t sleep in your car.”
“Why can’t I?”
“Because it’s dangerous, Avery.”
I cross my arms and lean back into the smooth leather couch. The way he says it feels a little condescending. “I’ve lived here foryears,actually. I didn’t just get here yesterday, you know.”
“After last night, I’m surprised you’ve made it here for even a week.”
