Page 29 of Silver Player

“Do you want to tell the other kids? Would that…I don’t know…help somehow?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sadie groans, laying her head back and staring out the passenger window. We continue the short drive without another word and pull into the alley behind the second block of Main Street where the bookshop sits on the corner. As I near the private parking space, I see the broad body of someone sitting on the stairs leading up to my apartment. Sadie’s eyes remain trained on the wooden staircase and the outline of the man we can see through the risers.

“Did you call him?” Sadie whispers. I shake my head in response although she isn’t looking at me, and I’m thinking the same unspoken question.

What is Billy doing here?

Sadie and I exit the car and slowly approach him. Billy doesn’t stand from his seat on the stairs.

“Hey.” His voice croaks as his eyes find mine and then quickly drift to Sadie. “You okay?”

Sadie shrugs. If she wants to escape him by running up these steps, she’s going to have to climb over him because he doesn’t look like he’s moving anytime soon.

“Did you get in trouble?” He’s keeping his eyes on Sadie although she isn’t meeting his. Sadie shrugs again. Billy waits out the silence, and Sadie finally speaks.

“What’s it matter?”

“Sadie,” I hiss, rolling my eyes to the heavens.

“I got in trouble a lot when I was in school. Whaddya do?”

“Why is it that I did something?”

Billy chuckles. “Yeah, it was never my fault either.”

I fight the smile wanting to form on my lips. He’s sweet with her and looks kind of cute sitting on my steps, fidgeting with his fingers on his thighs.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened anyway?”

I’m expecting Sadie to snap at him, give him another snarky comment, but to my surprise, she doesn’t. She explains.

“Heather told me I look like Violet from The Incredibles and I should disappear like her.”

Billy nods. “Heather? As in we only wear pink on Wednesdays?” I think he’s mixing up his chick flicks, but I’m impressed he even knows the comment. “And what did you say?”

“I told her she dressed like a slut and maybe she should go fuck herself.”

Oh, my God. “Sadie!” I hadn’t gotten all those details from the principal.

Billy chuckles, and I try to spear him with my ire, but he lowers his eyes to the ground and slips his elbows to his thighs. Why is this such a sexy pose for a man? And why can’t I hold my anger at him?

“Well, maybe she is one.”

“William!” I shriek. This isn’t a joke, and it isn’t appropriate.

“Heather who?” he asks Sadie, nodding as if trying to suppress his laughter.

“Heather Quinton.”

Billy sits up straighter, fighting back another chuckle. “Well, see, the apple might not fall far from the tree.”

“William,” I hiss, narrowing my eyes at him and snagging his attention this time. Heather Quinton is the daughter of Hestia Quinton, who wears the unfortunate nickname of town slut. Rumor has it she’s broken up a marriage or two. I don’t know if that’s true, though. Personally, I feel sorry for her. So, she sleeps around. You do too, I want to remind him. Pot meet kettle. And how dare he judge her, considering he has the same reputation.

Maybe she’s the one he had against the wall.

Oh, God, brain, stop thinking.

“Okay,” Billy says, rubbing his hands down his thighs. “You probably shouldn’t have called her that name, but she shouldn’t have said anything to you either.” He stares at Sadie a second, as if he has more to say, but there’s a question in his expression. Whatever it is, he doesn’t ask, though, and silence falls around us.