Page 76 of Another Girl Lost

“I’ll bring you back to your car when we return.”

“I walked from my place.”

“Brave woman.”

The doors unlocked, and I sat in the front seat with my backpack wedged between my legs. Sitting forward, as if ready to spring free, I slid on the seat belt. When Luke sat behind the wheel, the car felt very small and cramped. He hit the auto lock. I flinched only a little. He clicked the lock off.

“Thanks.”

“No big deal.”

If Luke took note of my shifting energy, he pretended not to notice. “You ever been to AB’s Burgers?”

“Driven by, but never stopped.”

“You’ll love it.” He frowned. “Didn’t think to ask. You eat meat?”

“I do.”

“Okay.” The ride in the car was smooth, and I barely noticed the rough road the city never got around to paving.

That close, I noticed little things about him. The way his rolled-up sleeves hovered just above his thick wrists; how his fingers gripped the steering wheel, relaxed but ready to jump into action; and the silver shimmering in the damp hair brushed back from his face.

“What attracted you to this neighborhood?” I asked.

“I know the area. I know the local dealers, the cops, and the dive bars. I grew up on these streets.”

“I would think a defense attorney would want to go uptown and start fresh.”

“Maybe. Eventually. One major life change at a time.”

“You seem fearless to me.”

He laughed. “I’m putting one foot in front of the other like every other slob in this world.”

“Is there a story there?”

“Not really. I just like it better here.”

“Fair enough.”

He glanced at me. “You’re the first person who’s accepted that answer without suggesting I’m making a mistake.”

“Why would it be a mistake to stay here? I live here. We only get one life. Do what you love.”

“You haven’t pressed for many details. Most dates want my full CV.”

I laughed. “Not my style. And I tend toward silence and stony stares, rigid crossed arms.”

“You weren’t rigid on that wall. Your body flowed.”

“But everywhere else, I’m tense.”

That teased a smile. And to his credit, he didn’t try to sell me on being comfortable with him. He didn’t tell me I could trust him. Or that I shouldn’t worry.

He parked in front of a dive of a burger place that I’d never been in because it looked so sketchy.

“What prompted you to try AB’s?” I asked.

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