“I thought we were sharing. I told you about Axl. Tell me about Kristen.”
“She’s a bitch. End of story.”
“Why is she a bitch?”
“Get to know her and you’ll find out.”
“She seemed like a bitch at the bookstore the other day. I tried to talk to her, and she acted like she wanted me to go away.”
He walks over to the window. “You want to do some shots? Smoke some weed?”
“I’m not really into pot.”
He turns to me. “You ever try it?”
“Yeah. Axl does it, which is another reason I don’t want to be around it. It’ll just remind me of him.”
“You like whiskey?”
“Not really.” I sit on the bed. “I think I’ll just take a walk. Maybe go for a run.”
“You don’t run.”
“Yeah, I do. I run all the time.”
“And come back looking like this?” He shows me his phone, which has a photo of me in my running shorts and t-shirt.
“Where’d you get that?”
“Trystan took it from the security video. You’re not even sweating.”
“I was walking that day.”
He smirks. “Whatever you say.”
What does that mean? Does he know where I go? Is he following me? Is that why he was telling me to stay away from Jackson? He can’t be following me. He’s never home.
“I don’t really give a shit what you do,” Braden says. “But Trystan does. He doesn’t trust you. I don’t either but I’m not gonna waste my time playing detective.”
“Is that what Trystan’s doing? Spying on me?”
“I don’t know. Haven’t asked. I never even see him now that football season’s started.” He walks to the door. “You sure you don’t want to do shots? I guarantee they’ll make you feel better.”
“Not now.” I meet him at the door. “Are you going to practice?”
“The gym. Practice is later.”
“Do you know when your dad is coming home?”
“No idea. He doesn’t tell us.”
“Is he like that about everything?”
“What do you mean?”
“Does he keep secrets? Not tell you stuff?”
“Depends on what it is. Why are you asking?”
