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“Lexi? Is that you? I was wondering where you…” She stops as she sees Mal, and I pop my head to the side so that she can see me.
“She missed the bus,” Mal answers, walking through the living room and into the kitchen.
“Oh no.” Livvy’s face drops. “You only have ten minutes to get to work.”
“I know!” I shout back to her as I run down the hallway and into my room, pulling my clothes off and grabbing some cleans ones before shooting into the bathroom to freshen up.
Three minutes later I’m ready to start the run to the community center.
“Hold up there, pretty lady!” Mal shouts as I pass the kitchen and shout bye.
“Huh?”
“I’ll give you a ride, I’m heading that way anyway.”
I stand still and frown, looking from him to Livvy, wondering if she asked him to take me. She must see it on my face because she holds her hands up in the air. “I didn’t ask.”
“Then why—”
“I like you.” Mal shrugs. “Come on.” He waves his arm and heads out of the door, over the road and to his house.
“Well, go on,” Livvy encourages.
“I—” I huff out a breath. “Right, yes. I’ll help put the stuff away when I get back.”
I don’t wait for her to answer before I shut the door and jog over to Mal where he sits in his shiny black eco car.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” I say as I get into the car, pulling the seatbelt on and shuffling in the seat.
“I know, but like I said, I like you.”
I swallow and nod my head, clasping my hands in my lap all the while trying not to say what I desperately want to. I don’t understand how he can like me. I’m a criminal, someone that they don’t know. I could be a murderer for all they know, maybe even a serial killer.
“I can see those wheels turning,” Mal says as he stops at a red light. “Stop overthinking. I don’t care about your past, only about who you are now and who you want to become.” The car moves forward when the light turns green. “Cal and I have had our fair share of criticism, of hate, not just from people who don’t know us, but from people we love. We know what it’s like to be judged before you’ve even opened your mouth, so you’ll always have our friendship.”
“I… Wow.”
He nods his head and smiles sadly before his eyes widen. “You know.” He brings the car to a stop outside of the community center. “Cal never likes anyone off the bat, sometimes I’m not even sure if he likes me.” He winks. “But he took an instant liking to you. That never happens.” He raises a brow. “Never.”
“I—”
“Anyway! Enough of the ramblings from a middle-aged man.” He smirks and raises his brows when I flick my gaze to his salt and pepper hair and open my mouth. “Middle-aged... I repeat: I’m middle-aged.”
“Got it.” I chuckle and put my hand on the door handle, pushing the door open as I unclick my belt from the holder. “Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it.”
“No probs, pretty lady.”
I step out of the car and shut the door softly behind me, standing and waving as he pulls back out onto the road. I wait until I don’t see his car anymore and then start to turn around but someone shouting from the other side of the road gains my attention.
I look around me but I don’t see anybody else but me, so I can only assume that it’s my attention the woman is trying to get.
“Hey!”
“Me?” I ask, pointing at my chest as she jogs over the road.
“Yes, you,” she sneers. “Was that Malcolm?”
“I—yes?” I look around and frown, not understanding why she’s asking.
