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“I don’t.”
When Hope came back out, her eyes were red. She had been crying, that I was sure. I watched her from across the room while I was pretending to be on my phone. She pulled her hair free from the clip that was holding it in a messy bun and allowed her blonde hair to fall down her back and into her face.
I looked up and saw Mike studying me. “So, care to tell me how you know her?”
I couldn’t take my eyes from her. I remembered everything about her. “Well, that my friend is the girl who broke my heart,” I mumbled.
I didn’t need to say any more. Mike nodded and broke his cardinal rule by pouring me a Scotch after closing and setting it in front of me. “Drink up, man. Cheers.”
“Cheers.” I grabbed the glass that sat in front of me and raised it to my mouth, letting the warm liquid pour down my throat.
Chapter Fourteen
Hope
Igrabbed my purse fromthe employees-only area in the kitchen. “Good night, Mike,” I called as I went to go back out to the front door.
“Good shift tonight. Here you go.” He held out a wad of cash for me to take.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking the money from him and putting it in my purse. There must have been close to three hundred dollars there.
“That is your share of the tips. Be here tomorrow night at four. You’ve earned yourself a job.”
I smiled. “See you then.”
I stepped out into the quiet room. The first thing I saw was Carter, his head down resting on his arms, his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful as he slept. I approached him slowly, and just as I went to place my hand on his shoulder, his sleepy blue eyes opened. “You ready?” he asked.
I nodded. He stood, grabbed his jacket, and walked behind me, holding the door open for me to go through.
Nothing was said between us. We started walking for a bit in the direction of my hotel. It had been ten minutes when he finally asked where I was staying.
“I have a room over at The Knights Inn,” I said, clearing my throat. I could feel my face getting warm. He had lived here for three years; surely, he knew what type of shithole I was living in.
He frowned. “How long have you been staying there?”
I swallowed hard, ignoring his question, and kept walking.
“Are you living there?”
I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t because I couldn’t look at him. Finally, he grabbed my arm, stopping me, and pulled me around to face him. As soon as our eyes met, I crumbled. “I have nowhere else to go. I left home. I only have a few hundred dollars to my name. My credit card was canceled.” I really didn’t want to cry in front of him, but the tears were already pouring. I spun around and started walking again. I was almost at the corner when I noticed Carter wasn’t with me. I turned to look behind me and watched as he turned and started heading in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going? I thought you were walking me home?”
“Home? Fuck, that isn’t your home, Hope. It’s a soon-to-be-condemned shithole filled with prostitutes, druggies, and guys like your friend Pete. We’re going to my place. We can get your stuff in the morning. At least there I know you will be safe.”
I stood there, looking after him.
“Are you coming, Hope? Girls like you don’t stay at places like that. Come on, my roommate’s gone for the summer. You can have his room until you find something better.”
I didn’t know what to do. He was right, I didn’t belong there, and I knew that. He slowed his stride as I stood there looking after him. I glanced in the direction of my hotel. The streets were dark, and to be honest, I didn’t want to spend another night in that dump. A light rain started to fall as I watched him slowly walk farther away from me. I glanced back down the dark road to the scummy hotel and thought about just heading back there, but then I looked back to Carter. I shivered a bit and changed my mind, running to catch up with him. As I walked beside him, shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed both arms to try to warm up.
“Here, take my jacket,” he said, taking it off.
“No, no, I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, you’re cold. When did you become so stubborn?” He pulled the jacket around me and wrapped it over my shoulders, the warmth from his body still lingering inside the coat. I breathed in the familiar smell of him; it hit me right in the center. He smelled the same as he had three years ago.
We walked in silence the rest of the way to his place, just the sound of rain hitting the pavement and the occasional car driving by, but being with him, I felt safer than I had since coming to this city.
