Page 74

She laughed again and took it. “Thank you. I can never rationalize paying eight dollars for a drink.”

I knew this. That’s why I got it for her. I knew she liked matcha and lavender and I also knew she couldn’t afford the pricey drinks she delivered to other people.

She sipped it and closed her eyes. “Oh my God, it’s so good,” she breathed.

“Is it beef-stick-in-the-woods good?”

“Better.”

I felt it like a warmth in my chest. I’d been living for this moment since the second I had the idea.

I loved seeing her happy. It was turning into a hobby of mine—as much as I could make it one. I couldn’t do most of what I’d like to because what else was I allowed to do that wasn’t overstepping? I’d been thinking about that a lot.

I’d been thinking about a lot of things lately.

She started to wrestle a tote bag up from the floor. I leaned over and grabbed it. “What else do you have?” I asked.

“Just my luggage,” she said. “I’ll get it.”

“Nope. Where’s it at?”

She gave me a look. “I can carry my own luggage.”

“I’m sure you can. Bedroom?”

Her amused expression was her answer as I handed her the dog, then edged past her and cut through the apartment.

When I came back, she had a quizzical look on her face. “How did you know where my room was?”

“Your mom showed me,” I said. “A couple of weeks ago when I was picking up Woofarine. You were doing deliveries.”

“My mom showed you my room?” she said loud enough for Nancy to hear from the sofa. Larissa shot her an amused look.

“What?” Nancy said, shrugging. “I wanted to show him the curtains you made.”

Larissa rolled her eyes. “She has no boundaries.”

“If it makes you feel better, they’re very nice curtains,” I said.

“Ha. Thanks,” she said, putting on her flip-flops.

“Was that the jewelry box Mike got you for your birthday?” I asked as she locked the door behind us. “In your room?”

She brightened again. “Yes! I love it. He got it from a guy in Wakan. It’s custom made.”

The corner of my lip quirked up.

He hadn’t told me he got the jewelry box. I hadn’t seen Mike much. Not since that day I dropped him off in the parking lot.

He paid me back a few days after that, then threw himself into working for Tony. In fact, he was working for Tony so much, he didn’t even have time to meet us at the gym. Even Jesse was complaining.

He hadn’t filled his Prozac prescription.

I asked him about it, and he said the soonest he could get back in with his doctor was six weeks. He said the therapist he promised he’d see was three months out. This was typical, our mental health care system was shit. I was just glad he was trying.

I loaded her bags and got into the driver’s seat. Woofarine was already in her lap.

“Should I look for a place to eat on the way up?” she asked, pulling out her phone.