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“Then it wouldn’t be blind.” She brushed off the invite easily enough, but a shadow of fear clouded her face.
To my knowledge, she hadn’t left the shelter in all the time I’d been there. How was she going to conquer the real world and run a business? Those seemed like two hills that should be climbed at separate times.
“I’m glad you’ll be with me,” she said whisper-soft. “It’ll be nice to have a friend on the truck. More than nice.”
Friend?
I hadn’t had one of those since . . . I couldn’t remember when. Skiing was a competitive sport, so there hadn’t been time for friends. At Yale, I’d had a study partner I spent a lot of time with, but I wasn’t sure the relationship we had constituted friendship. Once I started hustling, there was no room in my life for constant people. I changed my name and phone number almost as frequently as I changed clothes. How could I make friends when I constantly lied about who I was?
I nodded once. “I’d better get going.”
“You still hanging around with my sorry, good for nothing kitchen help?” Miss Nece thundered into the kitchen before I had a chance to examine that I might have a friend for the first time in . . . a long, long time.
Trish paled. “I know I’ve been working on my own recipes—”
“Not you, honey. I’m talking about that boy who comes and goes as he pleases,” she said.
Trish covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh.
I tapped my temple a couple of times. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’ve got a crush.”
Miss Nece’s face screwed up like that was the most unpleasant thought to ever cross her mind. “I’ve already been around trouble before. I’m too old for it now.”
“Nope. I’m ninety-nine point nine percent sure you like trouble.” I grabbed the bags off the counter and kissed Miss Nece’s cheek as I passed. “I’ll tell him you said hi.”
“I can hold my own.”
The security detail Drew had undoubtedly assigned to babysit me ignored me, carrying the bags of food to the elevator. When they’d been waiting on me, along with Easton, who confirmed who they were, my annoyance thawed quickly. Drew needed to stay with his mother, but he wanted me to be safe. He’d actuallyconsideredmy safety. I wouldn’t call him out on it . . . for now. But he might as well have admitted he cared.
I hesitated when I reached the front door of the Carter apartment. It was odd letting myself into someone else’s home even though I did it all the time. The difference was that here, I wasn’t wanted. I knew none of them liked me. They only tolerated me because of Drew, and they were barely okay with him.
I dropped off the food in the kitchen. No one was around. Loretta’s door was closed when I went past, so I didn’t disturb her, going to our room to stash my purse. Drew was on his laptop when I walked in. He stopped what he was doing and had this look on his face like he was happy to see me but didn’t want to show it. And damn it, I felt kind of excited to see him too.
As soon as he realized that, a smirk appeared on his lips. “Were you in an explosion of some sort?”
I glanced down at my shirt. There might have been an accident with a blender and a strawberry smoothie.
“Well, dear,” I said, sighing dramatically as I dropped my purse on the floor and sank into the chair beside him. “My day was exhausting. You have no idea what it’s like to be the breadwinner.”
“You don’t know what it’s like either,” he shot back. Touché. “Itisrather nice having someone else foot the bill for a change.”
“For a change? Need I remind you that you took a hefty amount of someone else’s money?”
“That was hard work,” he protested, sliding an arm around me. “Say thank you, sugar.”
I shivered. I loved it when he talked in that nothing-but-trouble voice. “Not until I know what for.”
“Say it, and I’ll tell you.”
“Thank you, sugar,” I repeated as if it took a great effort.
“I suppose you can take half the credit, since it was your savvy that got us this cash.” He pulled an envelope full of money from beside the seat cushion, holding it open so I could see the green inside. I reached for it. “Not so fast. I need this.”
“What the hell? You said I should get half the credit.”
“Yes,credit. Notcash,” he corrected.
I was irritated, but I found it impossible not to smile when he was playful like this. “And how, may I ask, did you come into this cash?” I asked, threading my fingers through his.
