Page 82 of Protecting Christina

I inhaled and exhaled slowly. “All right.”

She folded her arms the other way and cocked her hip.

“Tina is a server at a bar I go to after work sometimes.”

“Did you fuck her?”

“No.”

“Then why is the woman texting you?”

I exhaled again, louder this time.

“It’s not that hard, Will. If you didn’t do anything wrong, why can’t you answer the question?”

“Because it’s not that simple, either. It’s not my story to tell.”

Her brow furrowed, and she dropped her arms, only to place them at her hips. “What are you talking about?”

I sat down on the couch and explained. “Tina’s boyfriend is an asshole. I’ve personally had to drag his drunk ass out of the bar and throw him into the backseat of a car. I suspect he’s laid hands on her, but she’s never admitted it to me.”

Christina blinked, then after a moment, came to sit next to me. “Go on.”

Dropping my forearms onto my knees, I continued. “Last night, before you came over, I received a call from Tina. She was having trouble with him again, and when I wanted her to do something about it, she didn’t. I got a little frustrated and left. I’d never done that before, but it reminded me…”

I stopped. It was a habit. I never talked about my mother.

“It reminded you…”

“Of my past.”

I felt the sympathetic stare without having to look up at her, and I hated it. “I went by the bar today to apologize, but she ignored me. That’s it. That’s everything. There’s nothing between Tina and me.”

She nodded and bit the inside of her cheek.

I turned my head to look her in the eye. “I’m telling you the truth.”

She kept nodding and ran a hand through her hair. Then she stood up. “I believe you.”

I blinked. I hadn’t expected her to say it quite like that. I expected more shouting and some hurt feelings.

“You do?” I asked skeptically. “Just like that?”

“I’m a lawyer, Will. I accept what people tell me at face value. But then I go and check it out myself.” She grabbed a set of keys by the doorway and a sweater.

“You’re going to the bar now?”

“Yup.”

My jaw tightened, and I couldn’t explain the feeling. It wasn’t quite anger but, perhaps I was the one feeling hurt. “So, you don’t trust me?”

“I wouldn’t look at it like that, Will. I don’t trust anyone. It has nothing to do with you, personally.”

For some reason, it felt personal.

20

Christina

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