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“Damn, he looks like an unhinged kind of motherfucker,” Drew said. “How are you doing with all this, Laoise? Do you want to talk about it? Can I help you carve out some time for self-care?”
“I’m fine,” I said through my tightened lips.
“Do you think he might be a sociopath?” Drew asked curiously. “Was he ever violent as a child?”
“I don’t know how to answer the question,” I said, feeling frozen, my eyes still glued to the screen.
Did beating the shit out of Bobby Pratchett my freshman year in high school because he asked me out for a date count?
What about throttling the gas station attendant who had looked at my tits a little too long?
The news anchor was explaining that this violent felon was going to be released into the community, and she was interviewing two people about his release. One guest, a pompous-looking bald man in a suit, was strongly against it, and the other guest, another even more pompous-looking and balder man in a suit, was also against it and said, in his opinion, prison was “too soft these days.”
“When you were kids, was your brother ever violent?” Drew asked again.
“Yes,” I replied.
“It’s OK to be scared,” he said, getting up from the couch and putting an arm around me. His sweater was soft against my skin. “You shouldn’t suppress your feelings. Let yourself feel them.”
I knew he meant well, but I didn’t want to feel my feelings. I wanted to bury them deep so I didn’t have to think about them.
I couldn’t take the kindly look in his green eyes, so I shook his arm off and turned to the sink and began filling it with hot water.
“I’m really sad about your dad,” Drew continued after a moment. “I would’ve loved to meet him.”
I said nothing, squirting the dishwashing liquid into the sink so I wouldn’t have to answer him.
“Cripes, it’s a mess in here,” my fiancé said.
Chapter Three
The next morning, I tried to calm myself as I got back in my car, my eyes darting all around me as if my brother would pop up behind a bush.
It was 6 am and I was on my way to my bakery. It was located downtown in a prime spot to catch everybody on their way to work. I loved baking but I did not love these early hours. I wished there was more flexibility, but since I rented a physical location, there was no option other than getting here at this ungodly hour.
I scanned the faces of all the people on the streets as I drove by, not sure what or who I wanted to see. But I didn’t see him.
Maybe he’s forgotten, I tried to reassure myself.
It didn’t work.
Maybe Torin wouldn’t come looking for me.
Did I believe that?
No.
Somehow, someway, Torin Reilly was going to come collect.
I parked in front of the bakery, grabbing all my supplies, and shutting the truck door with my ass. I was so distracted that I almost didn’t notice as I juggled everything in my arms to open the front door.
It was unlocked.
Had I locked it yesterday?
I tried to think, my heart racing.
Maybe I had just forgotten.
