Page 32 of Point of Contact

She waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn't, she prompted him. "What’s Jjigae like?"

He pursed his lips, hesitating just a second. "It's made with over-sour kimchi, tofu, and usually spam or hotdogs." His eyes skimmed over her face before darting away. "Not exactly gourmet, but…"

Was he embarrassed? Did he think she would judge him for the way his mother cooked?

Probably. He seemed to have all sorts of ideas about who she really was.

Technically it was her own fault. She had spent most of her time around him acting spoiled and stuck-up and demanding.

"That sounds really good." Courtney jabbed the plastic tines of her fork into a hunk of zucchini. "Spam is that sort of canned ham stuff, right?"

He continued watching her, like he was gauging her reaction. "Right. It’s cheap and shelf stable and super salty, so a little goes a long way."

His explanation marinated as she chewed, bringing a realization that might explain a few things. Reed's family might not have had a lot when he was a kid. They still might not have a lot. Was that why he judged her for being so ungrateful for everything she had? Because he didn't know how much shedidn'thave.

"I might actually want more than one invitation, so I can get real friendly with your mom and learn all her culinary secrets." She gave him a little smirk. "Or maybe your dad’s the easier mark."

Reed's chin tucked, but not before she caught the hint of a smile working across his lips. "My dad is definitely the easier mark."

Courtney nodded, trying to look earnest. "That makes complete sense. You must have gotten your sweet disposition from him."

Reed barked out a loud laugh, seeming to relax a little. "He always tells me I’m too serious. That I need to relax."

Her lips flattened a little. "Life can be serious, so I get it." She poked at the food, losing a little of her appetite. “It’s nice that he cares enough to worry about how you are.”

Reed's eyes came her way. "That's what parents do."

She smiled in spite of the pain threatening to steal the tiny bit of joy she'd found in the last few minutes. "Not all parents."

Reed held her gaze for a few seconds longer, the amount of focus it carried making her feel exposed. Vulnerable.

"I should probably get things organized inside." Courtney stood up, hurrying to the door of the camper, pausing to glance back his way. "Thank you for dinner."

She yanked open the door, desperately in need of an escape. A little breathing room. Something to help her get away from the pain always nipping at her heels. Because it was bad enough that, outside of how it would affect him, her father didn't give a shit what happened to her.. Treated her like a liability. Something that could, and would, be used against him at any time. Making her an inconvenience he resented having to deal with.

But he’d still done more than her mother, who'd dropped her off on his doorstep right after she was born, refusing to have any link to him or his family.

Even if that link was her own flesh and blood.

Courtney grabbed a few of the bags from the seat of the dinette and headed back to the bedroom. After pulling on the clearance rack Christmas hoodie she forgot to take to the shower house, she dumped out the blankets and pillows she’d insisted on buying. Peeling each from their plastic wrapping, she assembled the full-size bed that took up the bulk of the back end of the camper. A camper she was starting to feel a little fondness for. Yes, it was cramped. And yes, it could break down at any moment. But it felt safe. Like no one would ever know who she was or give her a second glance in it.

And, after a lifetime of everyone knowing who you were and judging you because of it, being inconspicuous was freeing as hell.

Once the bed was put together, she went back to the bags, digging out a toothbrush and the toothpaste. She used a bottle of water to brush her teeth, rinsing the foam down the sink and crossing her fingers it didn't simply dump out onto the cement below. But what would it matter if it did? No one was there to care except for Reed, and he'd judged her enough already. She was sort of immune to it at this point.

Once her teeth were handled, she finger combed her hair before working it into a braid and tying off the end with a cheap rubber band that might have been wrapped around the green onions in their dinner.

As finished as she was going to be with the abbreviated version of her nightly routine, she poked her head out the door, ready to face Reed again. "Are you staying up?"

He sat in one of the folding chairs, but his gaze was still just as intense and focused as it was when she ran away earlier. It brought back that uneasy feeling of really being seen, though it didn’t feel quite as uncomfortable as it had before.

"For a while. I want to make sure everything's okay."

Her heart skipped a beat in spite of the way his gaze made her feel. He was looking out for her. Making sure no one was lying in wait to finish what they started.

Sure, he'd done it before. But that was when she was handing over an exorbitant amount of the money her father threw her way to avoid having to deal with her. Money she no longer had, which meant Reed was looking out for her because he wanted to.

And it was almost as uncomfortable as the way he looked at her.

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