Page 8 of So Dark

“Yep. Should I move it farther? Can you reach from there?”

She chuckled. “I get what the Boss is saying, but it sucks. Some other wacko is coming after me, and I get told to go intohiding. I get that I can’t be in the news but won’t fleeing the area right after my neighbor gets murdered be worse publicity?”

“I don’t think you’re getting much bad press anymore,” Michael replied. “They stopped digging into the skeletons in your closet. It’s more just a lot of speculation about you and West.”

“What kind of speculation?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Tell me.”

He sighed. “Well, a lot of them are really leaning into this being a sex thing. Some people are suggesting that you two bumped uglies during your sessions, and—”

“Oh myGod!”

“I know. I know. It’s horrible.”

She pressed her hands to her forehead and groaned. “Ugh! This is the worst night ever!”

Michael shrugged. “I mean… the maple bars are fresh, so it can’t bethatbad.” She glared at him, and he lifted his hands again. “Just saying.”

She sighed and sat up straight. Turk laid his head in her lap, and she looked down at him. “And they want Turk to retire too.”

“That’s just policy, right?” Michael asked. “He’s turning nine, so that means he’s due.”

“Age is just a number,” she said, scratching Turk behind his ears and smiling at the way his eyes half-closed.

“Except when it isn’t.”

She frowned. “He’s not old, Michael. Look at him. I mean, he’s as fast and strong as he always was. He’s been doing a lot of strenuous stuff, and he’s fine. He still has the energy of a puppy. No arthritis, no fatigue, no poor eyesight or hearing, no dietary issues. If he didn’t have a little gray on his muzzle, you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s nine years old.”

“You haven’t thought about taking him home as a pet?” Michael asked.

“I’ve thought about it, but when would I see him? He’d spend all day at home with David and only see me mornings and evenings when I’m not on a case. It would be like he moved in with his dad, and I became the every other weekend parent.”

“But you’d be living with David,” he pointed out. “It’d be more like he has two parents who work.”

Faith looked away and pursed her lips.

“Ah,” Michael said. “Cold feet about the move again, huh?”

She hesitated before answering. She wasn’t sure how wise it was to share all of her thoughts on the subject with Michael. The two of them had dated for a year. Their relationship had ended before Faith met David, but it still felt weird to share relationship troubles with him. But he had Ellie, so it wasn’t like he was her hot ex she was complaining about her current boyfriend to. He was her friend, helping her get through some difficult personal struggles.

“Yeah. I guess so.”

“You’ve got to figure that out, Faith. You’ve been with him for over a year. Either you two are taking the next step, or you’re moving on.”

“Why can’t we be enjoying the life we have now? Would it really be so bad if we were just the type of boyfriend and girlfriend who date but live separately?”

“For you? No. It’s nice, low-maintenance fun, and I can see you being fulfilled by that. For David? Well, you know the answer to that."

Her shoulders slumped. “Yeah.”

“You’re not a bad person if you decide David’s not the one. You’re not a bad person if you decide there isn’t a ‘the one.’ But if you string David along because you’re too afraid to make a tough decision, then you’re being pretty shitty to him.”

She frowned at him. “This is what I get for talking to you about my problems.”

“Yeah, you’d think you’d have learned by now.”

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