Page 80 of Another Girl Lost

“And you knew he wouldn’t fight?”

“His T-shirt tells me he works for an HVAC company. Hard to do the work with broken knees, and paying the medical deductible will hurt.”

“I doubt his brain is as logical as yours.”

“We’ve all got the lizard brain, that primitive part of us that boils all decisions down to survival. He can’t survive without his knees.”

His unshakable confidence was enviable. “What if he’d called your bluff?”

Luke picked up a fry and bit into it. “I don’t speculate on might-have-beens. He didn’t. End of story.”

“What if he’s outside?”What if I lose my shit one day and disappointment darkens your gaze when you look at me?

His head cocked. “Do you always borrow trouble?”

I smiled. “The burden of potential overdue library fines is incredible.”

He chuckled. “No reason to worry.”

“Should I write that down?”

“Yes.”

“Duly noted.”

“Ready to get out of here?” Luke asked. “I can drive you back to your apartment.”

“Thank you.”

I slid out of the booth, and he followed behind me until we reached the door. He opened it, took the lead, and held the door. Despite his casual comments, he seemed very aware of his surroundings. So was I. But then, hypervigilance was how I rolled.

Back in his car, I relaxed into the leather seat. This time when he slid behind the wheel, only a little nervous tension rippled through me.

“What’s your address?” he asked.

Again, panic. Stupid. My business was listed online. I rattled off the address.

He plugged it into his phone and drove.

“I could’ve directed you.”

“That would’ve also worked.”

When he pulled in front of my building, he looked up, studying the structure. “It’s a warehouse.”

“Home sweet home, with plenty of space to work.”

“And you live here?”

“There’s a small space in the back that’s mine. Not fancy, but it works. The front is for art.”

His gaze settled on me. “Drama aside, I had fun.”

“I did, too.”

“Did you?”

“Yeah, I did,” I said honestly.

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