Page 10 of Desolation

She frowns. “No, I guess not.”

I nod and keep walking.

“But I could maybe stay with you when he hits me again.”

I shake my head at her. “You are messed up, Chelle.”

She cackles her high-pitched laugh. “Girl, don’t I know it.”

* * *

I look in the tiny mirror in my room as I apply makeup over the faint bruises left on my face. They have mostly faded. My ribs, the only thing still tender. I hope I can cover my face enough to keep Dax from questioning me. He was friends with Michael back when we started dating. He knows the type of man he is and knows he would never hit me.

I apply a layer of lip gloss and stash my makeup bag in a drawer. I pull down the white crop top as far as it will go. I should have spent the cash I brought with me on something a bit more conservative. Dax never saw me dress this way. Once I left Chicago, I ditched the “girl from the ghetto” apparel and chose a more “girl from the Hamptons” style look. I was determined to erase my past filled with gunshots and bad decisions. I was going to Harvard and I knew I needed to look the part. I traded in my crop tops and large hoop earrings for pencil skirts and blouses. I have missed the hoops though.

I take a deep breath and grab a hoodie just in case. It’s June in San Diego and it’s hot and humid. I lock up my room and leave the shelter. I found a bus schedule on my phone and managed to take a bus to the Gaslamp Quarter. Somehow, I manage to not get lost after transferring two buses. I find a coffee shop next to the hotel and grab an iced coffee for me and Dax and take it to an outside table as I wait for him.

I see a forest green Aston Martin DBS Superleggera pull up outside The Westgate and can’t keep the smile off my face when I see Dax step out of the driver’s side.

He’s changed since I last saw him. The tech genius used to be skinny in college with glasses that constantly fell off his face. But after he graduated and moved to Silicon Valley, he started to work out and his lanky frame became more lean muscle.

But I haven’t seen this Dax before. This Dax is all thick muscle, broad shoulders, thick thighs. This Dax has definitely become all man.

I throw on my hoodie, zipping it up before I grab the two coffees and walk over to his outrageous sports car.

“Seems like you haven’t done too bad for yourself over the last few years,” I say.

He turns to look at me and his signature goofy grin covers his face. It’s good to see that hasn’t changed. “Mar Bar.”

I barely have time to prepare myself as he takes three steps toward me and wraps me in his arms.

“It’s been too long.” His words are muffled into my hair.

“I know.” He pulls away and I smile at him. “Three years is far too long.”

He nods. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to make it to any of your fundraisers.”

I wave my free hand that isn’t holding the coffee. “I get it, Dax. But it wasn’t like you weren’t there in spirit. Your generous donations have gone far.”

He blushes. He was never one to take a compliment well. He looks at the drink holder in my hand. “One of those for me?”

“Duh. I know you would be pissed if I had a coffee and you didn’t.”

He laughs as he grabs the black iced coffee from the carrier.

“Hey!” I yell. “That was mine! I got you your nasty eight pumps of sugar and heavy cream delicacy.”

He sips my coffee and grins at me. “I stopped drinking that shit.”

I give him a once over. “I could tell.”

He hands me back the black coffee and takes the sugary concoction instead. “But for you, I will drink this.” He sips the drink and I swear his eyes roll back into his head. “Oh, how I’ve missed this.”

I shake my head at him as he opens the car door for me.

“Please enter, milady.”

You can change the nerd body on the man but you can’t take the nerd out of him.

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