Page 17

‘Around the length of time your sister’s been acting differently?’

I pause for a moment, blinking at the space ahead of me before turning my gaze to him. He’s already watching me curiously, a tilt to his head.

‘Yes,’ I say. ‘Now that you mention it.’

He nods slowly. ‘Maybe that has something to do with it.’

‘I … never made that connection before.’

‘Might not be anything,’ he says.

A shiver rolls down my spine, and I straighten uncomfortably as my mind runs rapidly with questions. ‘I hope it isn’t.’

‘Me too,’ he replies quietly. He moves closer. ‘Can I have your number? So I can text you?’

A swooping sensation falls through my stomach as I nod, trying to appear casual. ‘Sure.’

I put it into his phone. The screen is so cracked, I can barely see what I’m typing. As he pushes the phone back into his pocket, he rummages around for a cigarette and lights it before inhaling. He tilts it toward me.

‘Want some?’ he asks.

I blink at him. ‘You smoke?’

‘You don’t?’

‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘Aren’t they expensive? And bad for you?’

‘They are. A lot of things are bad for you.’

‘How do you afford them? Do you work?’

He nods. ‘Yeah. At the library. I work most nights.’

‘Wow,’ I say. ‘I want to get a job, but with my practice and sporting events on weekends, I don’t really have the time.’

‘You’re lucky that you have someone to support you.’

‘I am.’ I nod. ‘I wish it was the same for you.’

He sucks in a long drag before exhaling a puff of smoke. It filters through the air, and I watch it fade from a cloud into nothing. I reach for the cigarette and inhale sharply. My throat burns and I cough loudly, almost dropping it.

Ash snickers, taking it from me. ‘You need to ease into it, babe.’ My stomach clenches at the word babe. ‘Like this.’

He demonstrates inhaling twice, before handing the cigarette back to me. I do as he says, and this time, it’s a bit smoother, but I cough again.

‘Better.’ He grins.

‘That’s disgusting.’

He shrugs. ‘Yeah.’

‘Since you work at a library, you like to read, then?’

‘Yeah. I’m always reading. It lets me pass the time without spending too much money,’ he replies.

‘That’s true. I read a lot. Romance and fantasy, mainly. What about you?’

‘Thrillers and horrors. Fantasy from time to time. I do read a lot of non-fiction, though. I like to learn new things.’