“You stay out of neighborhoods that are… problematic for the family.”
“I’ll need a list.”
“I’ll give it to you. Your grades need to stay up. Don’t gotta be a genius, but you need to pass.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t get your sister involved. I don’t want her in any of the pictures.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“I know that. I just want to make sure.”
“That it?”
“Yeah. Oh, but don’t throw any of this shit away,” I said, waving at the tabletop. “Plenty of hungry and thirsty people on the way back home.”
He nodded at that.
“Where’s Char?”
“The pawnshop with Alara. Talking books.”
“You can drop her here if you want. You can spend time with her.”
“With who?”
“Alara.”
“Why would I do that?”
Liam let out a huff of laughter as he leaned back in his chair, looking years older than he was.
“You think I don’t see how you look at her? How she looks at you? Call me what you want, but I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Starting to see that. But you don’t know what you’re talking about there.”
“Think I do. Hell, even Charlotte sees it.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Why? Because she’s Brio’s sister-in-law? Or because you’re older than her?”
“Kid, this is an adult topic of conversation.”
“Just calling it how I see it.”
“Well, you need your vision checked.”
“Sure, sure,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Now, you mind? I gotta get back to work.”
A laugh escaped me as I got up from the table. “Any of these up for grabs?”
“Yeah, this one is black,” he said, passing me a cup. “Alara likes hers with cream and sugar,” he said, passing another in my direction. “And Char would love that disgusting strawberry thing.”
I took the drinks with me, still shaking my head as I crossed the street back toward the pawnshop.
“Coffee?” Alara asked when I walked in. “Couldn’t be too bad if coffee is involved.”
