"I'm serious. I don't want you paying for it. Just take me to an ATM."
"I'm paying for it. Think of it as the money I'd spend if I could actually take you on dates."
"You wouldn't spend that on a date."
"You're right." He pulls me into his arms. "I'd spend more than that. Take you anywhere you want to go. Buy you flowers." He kisses me. "Get a room in a fancy hotel. Order room service and then—"
"That all sounds great," I say, pushing him back. "But right now we need to meet with your friend. What'd you tell him?"
"I said we'd meet him at the parking lot where I took you for your driving lessons."
"I'll go home and get the phone."
"You sure you want to do this?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"You might not like what you find. It might not be about Braden. It could be something about Devon. Stuff you'd be better off not knowing."
"I still want to know." I race to the door. "I'll be right back."
When I get to the house, Shayla is there.
"Hey!" She hugs me. "I haven't heard from you. You okay?"
"Yeah. I just have a lot going on."
She follows me to my room, whispering. "How are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Living with the guy arrested for Andrea's murder and dating the guy arrested for Kristen's? If it were me, I wouldn't be able to sleep, especially with Braden in the room right above me."
"Jackson is innocent. As for Braden, I don't know. I'm just trying to stay away from him." I take Devon's phone from my drawer. "Shayla, I'd love to catch up but I really need to go."
"It's okay. I'm leaving too. My mom just sent me over to get her check. She forget to pick it up this morning. She's not letting me work here anymore because of Braden."
"Probably a good idea," I say from the walk-in closet. While she was talking, I changed out of my uniform and put on jeans and a t-shirt. I go back to where she's standing by my dresser. "Sorry I haven't called. We'll go do something when things aren't so crazy."
"Okay." She gives me a hug. "Be careful."
"I will."
We walk out together and she gets in her car. As she drives off, I see Jackson's Range Rover pulling out of the driveway. He drives down and picks me up.
"Mick's on his way there," Jackson says. "I have the cash. You got the phone?"
I hold it up. "Right here."
"What the hell? Did he drop it in the garbage disposal?"
"I know, right? I'm surprised it even works."
"The phone has deep scratches all over it and it's coated with dirt and sand. I tried to clean it but then worried I might damage it so I decided to leave it alone.
We get to the parking lot and see a brown pick-up truck that's so rusted that part of the door is missing.
"That's him," Jackson says.
