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“Get some actual work done and I’ll spot you dinner and a drink later,” Malcolm agreed.
Blake shot him a thumbs-up and hopped up the creaking staircase to the floor above.
Celia finished the first half of her sandwich and pushed her plate away.
Malcolm pushed it back. “At least eat half the fries. With Blake stealing some, it’s not even half at this point.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Malcolm. I eat.” Celia met his gaze, refusing to look away. She had a smoothie every day. Her chin rose a little.
“So show me,” Malcolm said, not backing down. He ran a hand over his hair, letting it pause as it reached his bun. Then he sighed and fished something out of his pocket. “I’m sorry if this is overstepping, but here.” He shoved the paper toward her.
When Celia unfolded it, inside were three phone numbers in Malcolm’s barely decipherable handwriting. She raised an eyebrow at him.
“It seems like you’ll be here for a while, and I know you like the group type best.” He shrugged. “No pressure.” He grabbed the rag he had thrown at Blake earlier and turned to wipe something farther down the counter that didn’t need wiping.
Celia’s hand crumpled the paper as her pulse beat hard in her throat. She shoved it into her pocket, anyway. She’d told no one besides Malcolm that she’d continued counseling, and couldn’t believe he’d remembered her liking group sessions from so long ago.
There was always a delay when she moved somewhere new. It was so hard finding the good places. “I would have looked it up myself.”
Malcolm nodded, not arguing with her. “You still can.”
The nightmares had continued every night, though she didn’t always get up anymore. She didn’t want Trenton to worry. Her hand strayed down to her pocket before reaching for another fry and putting the unwanted food into her mouth.
Chapter 16
Trentonknewhe’darrivedtoo early, but he’d found that he liked to watch Celia work. She still wasn’t a server who exuded a warm welcome. When she read the customers’ minds and provided what they needed before they asked, though, they didn’t seem to care.
Malcolm set a gin and tonic in front of him. “Been seeing you here a lot,” he said even as he turned to another customer at the bar.
Saturday night was busier than Trenton was used to, though he’d managed to snag a bar chair with a view of the tables. He purposefully kept his gaze averted from Celia when she bent over to clean off a table. After he’d pictured her naked while she was injured the other day, he’d been avoiding looking at her ass. He still couldn’t believe he’d been such a jerk.
The bar chair next to him freed up, and the person to blame for his thoughts slid in next to him. “Can’t stay away, can you?” Blake grinned.
“I’m just picking up Celia,” Trenton said, lifting his glass to take a drink.
“Two hours too early, I see,” Blake said. “Must be lonely back at your place now that you’re used to her being there.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. We barely see each other, what with me working days and her working nights.”
“That’s a pretty hard protest I’m hearing.” Blake waved a hand to catch Malcolm’s attention. “Did I earn my way for tonight?” he asked when their friend came over. “I’m starved.”
Malcolm sighed, but nodded. “I’ll put something in, but do me a favor.”
Blake narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Last time you said that, I started working on the upstairs here, and it’s been nothing but a pain.”
“Nothing like that. Don’t take any of Celia’s food anymore.”
Trenton glanced at his roommate as Blake frowned.
“She didn’t seem to mind,” Blake said.
“I do,” Malcolm pushed.
“I mean, sure.” Blake nodded when he realized how serious Malcolm was. “I didn’t mean anything by it, just habit.”
“I know,” Malcolm said, scribbling an order on a ticket and taking it to the kitchen window.
Trenton had noticed how skinny she was the two times he’d carried her. “So she’s been eating here?” he asked Malcolm once his friend had returned.
