Page 101 of Pretty Little Thing

Trix nods. “Yep.”

“Instead of, I don’t know, asking him yourself if he’s homeless?”

I cringe. “Yeah.”

“Why can’t one of you do it?”

Melanie points at me. “Well, he knows her. He’d probably recognize me, too.”

“Why can’t Trix do it, then?” he asks.

She sneers. “Because I don’t wanna.”

Robbie looks between the three of us and sighs. “What does he look like?” he asks.

“He’s your height,” I say, looking up at him. “Brown hair, short but not buzzed. Bright, blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt with a black jacket.”

“No,” Melanie says. “He wore black pants and a blue jacket.”

“Pretty sure it was jeans.”

Trix wrinkles her nose. “I thought he had a dark gray polo.”

“Ladies,”Robbie says. “Do the world a favor: Never witness a murder. Mm’kay?”

Melanie takes out her phone. “Okay, hold on. I should have a picture of him.”

I blink. “Why do you have a picture of him?”

“I took it during our interview,” she says, swiping the screen. “Ah — here!”

She hands it to Robbie and he takes a look.

“Hello, gorgeous!”He winks at me. “Good job, Nor.”

My lips twitch as I blush. “Thanks.”

“Wait, when was this interview?” he asks.

“Five months ago-ish?” Melanie answers.

“So, you were taking pictures of gorgeous men while you were still married to me but for me to mentally picture Nora in a corset now is— you know what?” He gives the phone back. “Never mind. I’m just gonna let that one marinate. Be right back.”

He spins around and walks off toward the gym.

“Thanks, Robbie!” Trix shouts after him, prompting a casual wave with his good hand.

Melanie exhales hard with a raised brow. “He has a point, doesn’t he?”

I nod. “We won’t tell, though.”

“Thank you.”

Trix heaves a happy sigh. “This is way better than a movie.”

I sink a little deeper, feeling a heavy weight on my shoulders. This feels wrong. I trust him. He trusts me. That bond is forming, albeit slowly, but it’s there and I can feel it. I don’t want to sneak around and follow him like some—

“Oh—!” Trix slaps my arm. “He’s coming back.”

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