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“Hey, I… I’ve been meaning to return this to you.” I take his handkerchief out of my pocket and hand it to him with both hands, not really wanting to let it go.
Silas stares at it in surprise and then looks up at me, the ice in his eyes melting away to reveal the same caring expression he wore when we first met. “You kept it all this time?”
I nod. “I’m not too sure why, but it just helped me stay brave when the pain became too much. Every time I found myself lashing out, I’d hold it tightly and remember you telling me to share my pain, so I’d talk to my dad instead of crying myself to sleep. Before I knew it, I’d come to consider this handkerchief as somewhat of a lucky token, so I carry it everywhere I go.”
A small part of me also hoped I’d run into Si one day, and I’d be able to return it to him. He has no idea how that one small act of kindness kept me from drowning in my sorrows.
He wraps his hand over mine, hesitating for a moment before curling his fingers closed over mine. “Keep it,” he says, his voice soft. “It seems like you valued it the way I always have, so I’ll leave it in your hands.”
“Are you sure?” The look in his eyes tells me this handkerchief means a lot to him, so I’m surprised he’s letting me keep it. I’m sure there’s a story behind it.
“I’m sure.”
I nod and rise to my feet, not wanting to leave, yet not wanting to disturb him unnecessarily either. It’s clear my company isn’t welcome, and I’m feeling awkward enough as it is.
I smile at him as I walk away, trying my hardest not to look back as I walk to the door. I’m stopped in my tracks when he wraps his hand around my wrist once I’m halfway through the room and pulls me against him suddenly. My head bumps against his chest and he wraps his arm around me, but it isn’t me he’s looking at.
“Jonathan,” he says, his tone admonishing. “How about you return her keys, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see what you just did? You know as well as I did that this will get you kicked out of the shelter.”
I turn in his embrace, and Si’s arm moves to my shoulder. He’s holding me so protectively, his gaze so fierce that my heart can’t help but skip a beat.
A lanky blonde guy groans and takes both the storage key and my car keys out of his pocket, holding his hand up. Si snatches the keys out of his hand and shakes his head as Jonathan rushes off, an annoyed expression on his face. I stare at his retreating back in shock. I never even felt him lift my keys.
Si takes my hand and holds it in his, putting the keys into my palm with the other before curling my fingers closed again. “I told you this was no place for you. Don’t put yourself into dangerous situations unnecessarily, Alanna. This isn’t a place you should come to voluntarily.”
He takes a step away from me and walks away, leaving me staring at him, my heart racing. “Thank you, Simon! I’ll be more careful next time!”
He turns around to face me, a cute smirk on his face, and butterflies erupt in my stomach. “You’d better.”
Si walks away, and I’m pretty sure he takes my heart with him.
ChapterSix
Silas
I can’t believe this dude paid me two hundred bucks to trail his boring wife for a week. The woman is so dull, I can’t imagine where she’d meet anyone who she could possibly cheat on him with. She goes for a run every single morning, and then she heads to the grocery store downtown. Next she goes home, prepares food in front of the large kitchen window, after which she watches TV, again by a large window. Some days, this woman doesn’t even go to the grocery store and just has her groceries delivered.
Honestly, this guy would’ve been better off buying a home security system. He’d quickly realize that she rarely leaves the house. It’s the easiest job I’ve ever taken, and I kind of wish it wasn’t so easy, because he promised me he’d pay me five hundred bucks if I could find proof of her cheating on him.
I sigh and stretch my legs, ready for the run she’ll be going on any minute now. This lady leaves the house at exactly ten in the morning, every single day. She’s not much of an early riser, but she sticks to her schedules. I snap a pic of her when she walks out of the house and text it to her husband, letting her get a head start before I run after her.
She runs the exact same trail every single day, but today she deviates, and it doesn’t sit well with me. I started taking on these kinds of jobs a year ago, and word quickly spread about how good I am at remaining invisible as I trail people, how easy it is for me to get to the core of clients’ requests. The more I do this, the quicker I can tell when something is wrong. Today, something is definitely wrong. If I’m lucky, this deviation is going to earn me the big bucks.
She slows her pace and waves at a man seated on one of the benches in the park, and I smile to myself as I disappear between the trees, my phone ready to take photos. She sits down next to him, and he hands her a paper coffee cup. In return, she leans in and kisses him.
I snap a picture, equal parts happy and annoyed at this new development. Is nothing sacred anymore these days? Why get married if you’re just going to cheat on each other? I sigh as I snap a few more photos of the couple, part of me wishing she’d turned out to be just as boring as I thought she was. I send the photos to her husband, and he replies almost instantly, promising to wire me the money before the day is over.
I’m in a shit mood as I walk back through the park, reminded of my stepmother. I rarely think of her these days, but these types of cases always bring her to mind. She’d been cheating on my father throughout the last few years of his life, and he knew it. It still doesn’t make sense that he cut me out of his will and left everything to her, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it. I may not have the resources that I need right now, but eventually I will. One day, I’ll take back everything that I lost. Every single thing.
“No!”
My head snaps up at the sound of a familiar voice, and I frown when I see Alanna with a boy her age. What is she doing at the park on a weekday? Shouldn’t she be at school?
I’ve been avoiding her lately. Against my advice, she started volunteering once a week, and from what I understand, Ricardo is doing a good job keeping her safe. She’s sought me out a few times, and each time, I’ve made up an excuse not to spend any time with her. Something about her just reminds me of everything I lost. The day I met her was also the day my life changed.
The boy leans into her, and she backs away, her body language conveying her reluctance. “Come on,” the boy coaxes her. “It’s just one kiss, and it’s just the two of us here.”
I walk up to them, but in her distress, she doesn’t even notice me. Not until I place my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t touch her,” I warn, my tone harsh.
