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“Didn’t you say you had commissions?” Riven asks. “Will they be enough to pay for the rest of your trip?”
I nod. “I can’t work in my car, though.”
Eli slaps his thighs, standing. “Well, then. That’s it. You’ll just have to stay.”
I blink. “Stay?”
“Yeah,” he says simply. “Stay with us until you’ve finished your commissions, Tink. That way, there’s no rent, and you can save up the money quicker.”
“I don’t want charity—” I start.
“It’s not charity. We want you here, as a guest. We’re inviting you to stay. Right, guys?”
He looks at the other two. Riven hesitates for a few seconds, then nods.
I turn to Cole. I’m not imposing on him anymore if he doesn’t want me to. It isn’t fair. This is his house, too.
He considers me over the rim of his whiskey glass, his smoky blue eyes considering. “Why did you really come here?” He says suddenly.
I squirm. “I told you. To paint the Northern Lights.”
“Don’t bullshit me.”
I take a breath. “I… wanted a place to get away from everyone.” I fiddle with the hem of my shirt. “A place without internet.”
“We can get internet.”
“You know what I mean. Someplace remote, where people would be less plugged-in. And no one could find me.”
He narrows his eyes. “You ran away.”
I nod. There’s no use denying it.
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want you to know.”
His lips tighten. “Are you in danger?”
I consider. Honestly, I don’t know. Ifeellike I am. The creep in the village today seemed to prove that theory. But maybe I’m just being paranoid.
Either way, my hesitation is apparently enough to convince him. “Until your car is fixed,” he mutters, standing and picking up his bottle. Then he just leaves without another word.
“Bye, Nalle!” Eli calls. “We love you!”
There’s a low grunt in response, then the door slams shut.
“So, I’m still notsuperconvinced he likes me,” I say.
Eli shrugs, leaning over to refill my little glass. “As we say,smaken är som baken.Taste is like a butt.”
“What?”
“Divided.” He gives my ass a playful swat, then clinks his glass to mine. “Skål.”
