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A second later, “HEE-HAW. HEE-HAW, HAW, HAW.”
Lo and Roger dissolved in laughter.
“HEE-HAW. HA. HA. HAAAAAW-HEEEEE.”
Ignoring them, I smiled at the security guard and staffer. “Let’s go. Please.”
50
BRETT
“Brett.” Callie found me after the game, after the interviews.
“Hey.” I just finished dressing after a shower. Putting my things in my bag, I pulled out my phone. “What’s up?”
She looked around, biting her lip, hugging herself.
I’d told Callie a while back to steer clear of the house with Billie’s stuff going on. It was for her safety, which she understood, but since then, we’d not seen much of each other outside of the usual physical therapy conditioning.
I straightened, giving her my full focus. “What’s going on?”
“Can I…” She raked a hand through her hair, whipping it around. “Can I stay at your place for a bit?”
My eyebrows went up.
She cursed, dropping her eyes. “It’s… I got kicked out of my place. I’ve been staying with my friend. You know, the one from Jack’s, and well, that’s not going so well.”
“You what? You were kicked out?”
“I know. I know.” She held her hands up. “I feel like such a loser asking, but would that be okay? I don’t know what you’ve told Willow about me, but I can stay in just the one part so I wouldn’t bug her. There’s a small kitchen in there. I can totally make do. I just… I need some time before I figure out my next steps.”
Callie made decent money. I knew she did, and she wasn’t a big spender. She studied for school or she was working. That was her life, and I doubted she’d suddenly developed a gambling problem in the last month. This didn’t make sense, none of this, but Callie was as much of a closed book as I was.
Maybe more.
Probably more.
“Are you okay?”
Her eyes jerked to mine, widening. “Yes! Yes. It’s nothing like this. I’m still trying to save up money. If it’s a problem, I don’t have to—”
“Callie.” She started to walk away, but I caught her arm. “Of course you can stay, but I have to ask. If something’s going on, if you’re in some kind of trouble, you can tell me. I might be able to help.”
Her eyes fell to my chest, and she gulped before gently pulling her arm away. “I’m okay. Really.”
She wasn’t. She was as far from fine as we were from Texas right now. “You can stay, but you need to tell me what’s really going on. You don’t have to today. Tomorrow. Or even next week, but eventually. Just loop me in. You’re in my house. You can trust me.”
She gave in, her eyes swimming in tears as she nodded. “Yeah,” she croaked out, tucking some hair behind her ear. “Yes. Okay, I will. Later.”
“Okay.”
My phone buzzed.
Callie edged back, gesturing to it. “I know you have people waiting for you, so I’ll leave you to it. Thanks, Brett. I mean it. You’re a lifesaver.”
I threw her a look. I’d never go that far.
Willy: Where are you? Awesome game, by the way. We went back to the hotel.
