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“Yes, and I told him you and I have been talking since I got here so?—”
She snorted. “You overestimate my relationship with Curtis if you think we speak when you’re not around.”
Oh, I hadn’t really thought of that. Aside from the whole surprise-party debacle, I didn’t think he’d interacted with my family much either.
“I was just so mad, you know?” I huffed. “He was just here—inmyhouse—and he was upset because I hadn’t been in contact with anyone?—”
“How did he even know that?”
“He didn’t!” I threw an angry hand in the air even though no one was around to see it. “He was just upset I hadn’t contactedhimeven though he’d told me to take all the time I needed.”
“Apparently, notallthe time.” I could hear her eyes rolling all the way in Richmond.
“No,” I agreed.
“So, wait,” she said. “Where is he now?”
I could hear her snacking on something. She’d fully committed to not going back to sleep anytime soon.
I should feel bad about that, but I didn’t.
I needed my best friend right now.
“He’s at Macon’s rental. Or one of them.”
“Macon?”
“Oh, right.” It had been a while since I’d talked to her. It had been two weeks, but Macon’s name fell from my lips like something so familiar. Like he belonged. I shoved that thought away for a later time. “He’s a friend,” I explained. “A cop actually. Deputy? Anyway, he’s been helping me with a few things around the house.”
She made a gasping sort of noise. “Hot Cop?”
My brows wrinkled as I turned on my side on the bed. “What?”
“That’s what you used to call him when you lived there—Hot Cop.”
“I did not!” I definitely would have remembered that.
She laughed. “You did. You used to see him at the?—”
Suddenly, a memory came rushing back.
Long walks, short lines, stolen glances.
“The coffee shop.” My hand went to my mouth in disbelief.
I had liked to go for walks early in the morning on the days when Daniel was out of town. I would sometimes stop at the coffee shop on my way back, and I’d always see Macon there, buying coffee before his shift. And then one day?—
“He even bought me a cup of coffee when I forgot my wallet.”
“And you threatened me that if I ever told Daniel you called him Hot Cop, you’d kill me.”
A faint smile spread across my lips. Yeah, I’d said that.
“How could I have forgotten that?”
“Memories are funny like that, Marin,” she said. “I think sometimes, we push down things that are painful.”
“My life with Daniel wasn’t painful.” It had been beautiful.
