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Yes, Skylar is young. But she is also an adult. A woman capable of making her own decisions. That night at the pub, she could have sent me away. Denied me the chance to know her.
But she didn’t.
Age doesn’t define us. Age was invented by humans. And now, the people of Stone Bay are using age as a weapon when they don’t know the first thing about battle.
I step closer to the woman. Watch as she swallows and shifts her weight. “And what is it I did to Ms. Langston? Who, by the way, is a grown woman. Not a girl,” I growl.
Another swallow, then she turns up her nose and takes a step back. “I saw the evidence.” Her voice shaky as her grip on the cart tightens. “Disgusting. Now…” she says with a layer of venom. Her eyes drift down to my clenched hand on her cart. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Stunned, I release the cart. Hear the clap of her shoes as she walks off. But I remain rooted to the floor.
Evidence. What evidence?
This woman says she saw something. Saw what? Everything that happened was behind closed doors. Unless… Fuck. Is there a photo out in the open? An image of me and Skylar, exposed and vulnerable, for all to see. My blood runs cold at the possibility of a photo floating around town or beyond.
Shit, shit, shit.
This explains the whispers Skylar mentioned. The hushed slander aimed her way like sharpened blades. And when I get home, I plan to look into said evidence. See what needs to happen to dispose of it.
The cashier chats small talk with me as she swipes and bags my groceries. I slide my card into the reader as she bags the last item and enter my PIN. Declined.
What the fuck?
I damn well know my account has more than enough funds to cover the total. My face heats as I put a different card in the reader and fib about the card being expired. When the second card declines, I pull cash from my wallet and hand it over.
After I all but run to the car, I whip out my phone, open the bank app, and stare down at my accounts. My shoulders sag as I read the balance. Relief washes over me as I stare at the figures. My money’s still there. Thank god.
“Why then?”
Why did both my cards decline if I had the funds? Because someone is toying with me. Because someone wants me publicly embarrassed.
Kelli.
But how?
Kelli has zero access to my accounts or personal information. Hell, she never made an effort to know me in our short time together. But Kelli has connections. Wouldn’t surprise me if she called in a favor. If that holds true, she is in for a rude awakening. As is whoever helps her play this fucked-up game.
I press the ignition and connect my phone to Bluetooth. On the drive home, I phone the bank and speak with a representative I have worked with time and again. Confusion laces his voice as I hear him tap the keyboard.
“Not sure why your cards stopped working, Lawrence. It’s like someone flipped a switch and turned them off.”
“No way it’s a glitch?” I ask, needing to be certain.
“Haven’t had any other calls and I’ve never seen this happen. So, I’d say not a glitch. But I’ve got it fixed now.”
“Thanks for your help, Will.”
“No problem. Call if it happens again.”
Better not happen again. “Will do.”
I disconnect the call as I round the corner for my street. Pulling into the driveway, I press the garage opener and park inside. Just as I exit the car, Skylar arrives. I gesture for her to pull beside me. With all the bullshit going on, the last thing either of us needs is a vandalized vehicle.
We share a brief kiss before I close the garage and we enter the house. I want to tell her about the woman at the store. Tell her about the supposed evidence. But she had a shitty day. Do I really want to make it worse?
Not like there is a choice.
I empty the grocery sack and get to work on dinner. Skylar offers to cut the potatoes and start the pasta water. After pounding out the chicken, I coat the breasts in parmesan and add them to the oven with the potatoes. I chop some broccoli to cook with the pasta and set them aside until it’s time.
