I strangled a snarl.
“You could have been hurt.”
“The only person who has thrown me into a car and kidnapped me is you,” she said tartly. “Twice, I might add.”
It was crushing.
Her face softened. “Sorry, that’s a low blow.”
My stomach sank. She knew.
“I, uh … Sorry, I looked you up,” she admitted.
Of course people will know. I don’t know why you lie to yourself. On the internet, everything is forever, after all.
I didn’t say anything.
“That sounds like a difficult … experience … what you went through,” she continued softly.
“My mom had it worse,” I said, looking out the window. I wished it would rain to match my mood, but the sun was shining like spring was trying to sweep out the last remnants of winter.
“I don’t have any right to complain.” I started the car and headed in the direction Lexi had been walking.
The voices of singing cartoon characters swirled like a barrier between us.
Or maybe it was just me. Lexi was tapping her foot along with the music.
“I didn’t know you were throwing it away,” I said abruptly.
She turned down the radio to look at me.
“That was not what was supposed to happen. With the food, I mean,” I said in a rush. “I didn’t want it thrown away. I just …”
“I understand.” There was pity on her face.
I’d tried to go on a date once in college. Marius had insisted, said I needed to put myself out there. It was the friend of the girl he was dating at the time.
“Her friends all say she’s weird, and you’re a little weird, so maybe this is meant to be,” Marius had told me cheerfully.
Except her weird had been an obsession with cold cases and serial killers, and when I gave her my last name, her eyes had bugged out. Then her face had gotten that pitying look that Lexi now wore, and I had made an excuse that I’d forgotten a homework assignment and stood up and left the date.
I hunched my shoulders, waiting for the pity to give way to disgust.
But instead Lexi winked at me over the top of her sunglasses.
“Then I am happy to report that I’ve actually been stealing the food in your fridge and giving it to the people in my building. They’re on fixed incomes, and there’s a single mom living there with her disabled kids.”
“Oh thank god.” I relaxed and sat back in my seat, feeling irrationally happy.
“Not to mention, before I arrived, I think Mrs. Ortega was rehoming the food. Anthym might have thrown some of it away, but you know, not all of it.”
“Okay, good.”
“Everyone in my building is very appreciative. You really helped a lot of people.” She patted my hand.
I parked at a red light and looked over at her.
“I’m glad,” I said sincerely. “Thank you.”
