Page 6 of The Shadows We Keep

Eleven months, thirteen days, and ten hours. That’s how long I avoided running into Harkin Greyson.

I knew the moment he set eyes on me it was game over. There was no way he wouldn’t be able to put two and two together. It didn’t matter that I was pale and had dark hair. Or that my nails weren’t done, and my face wasn’t coated in makeup. If I hadn’t been in uniform, I’d have had a bit more to play down our likeness. But the truth was, I look just like her. And I know it.

It’s so undeniably obvious that he had to realize it too. His eyes penetrated mine the moment they lifted to see who was trying to steal his cab. I’d fucked up. The recognition was as clear as day on his face as he internally battled to make sense of the situation. How was his dead girlfriend staring back at him? Well, it was pretty simple when you’d grown up knowing the truth and not living a lie.

His eyes shift across the walkway littered with people. He can’t see me standing against the pillar hidden in the shadows. My petite frame is a bonus for disappearing in crowds. But that doesn’t stop my heart from racing as I watch him wait for his turn through security. He seems like he’s looking for something or someone. Maybe he isn’t traveling back to California alone, but he doesn’t have any friends here.

I don’t take my eyes off him, studying the way his tall frame cascades over the family in front of him, his leather jacket and combat boots in hand for easy processing. The designs cover every inch of naked skin on full display. I desperately want to inspect it up close and in person instead of through a screen. But that isn’t happening. Not today, not any day.

I turn and finish the long route back to the desk and set Bonny’s coffee down, water lining the top where the ice has already melted.

Shit, how long had I been standing there?

“What the hell took you so long?”

I cringe. Apparently, it was longer than I’d thought. “Long line. You know how it is.” I try to brush it off. But again, human lie detector.

“You’re so full of shit. We’ve only got twenty minutes before the next flight starts collection, so you better spill. And you better not leave anything out.”

I blow out a long breath. Where the hell do I even start? And how do I come up with a believable lie for the stuff I can’t tell her?

“Okay, so you know that guy I met online through that grief chat room a while back?” She nods in confirmation. “Did I ever tell you he moved to the city?” Her eyes grow with shock and slight annoyance that I’m just now telling her this.

“You mean the guy from California? Why’d he move all the way here?” she asks.

“He wanted to get away from his family. Away from the area and the people who reminded him of the accident, I guess.” I’d told her about Harkin and what he went through. But I wasn’t honest about how I knew.

“Okay? So, what about him?”

“I ran into him this morning on my way to work. But he didn’t know it was me.” I tread lightly. This is where it could get messy.

“Wait! I’m confused. How’d you know it was him, but he didn’t know it was you?”

God, she always knows the questions to ask that I don’t want to answer. I let out a slow breath, quickly putting into place a cover story.

“He told me his name one time after group, even though it’s supposed to be anonymous. But we just kind of had this connection from the start. His username was Calibred275, so it was easy to assume that’s where he was from.” I let out a slow breath. “His full name and state, plus what I’d learned about the accident, made it easy to google him. I just hadn’t expected him to be from a well-known family.”

Her hand shoots out and grabs my arm. “Wait, wait, wait, how famous are we talking here?”

“You probably wouldn’t know him, but his dad is this huge business mogul. He owns a bunch of commercial real estate. He uses some for his own companies but then leases the rest out to other big businesses. The man's loaded.” She whistles in understanding.

“So, it wasn’t hard to find pictures of him once I knew that. I found his socials next, and that’s why when we both reached for the same cab this morning, I about peed myself.”

“Okay, first off, who knew you were Veronica Mars? Actually, now that I think about it, you do kind of look like her, with dark hair. And second, you know that sounds like a meet cute in a rom-com, right?” She laughs and I smile at her joke.

The sound of raised voices drift toward us. The baggage belt my empty coffee cup is resting on moves away from us.

“Saved by the belt.” I sigh in relief that our story time is over.

THREE

HARKIN

Who Is She x The Perfect Girl – Xanemusic, NVBR

Stepping out into the California sun is like standing in front of an open oven on broil. The heat radiates from every surface and instantly makes you sweat. It’s been less than a year, but I’ve acclimated to the seasonal swings of New York’s weather. The oversized, blacked-out SUV stops next to me at the curb. I’d planned on Ubering to my parent’s house, but I guess that wasn’t on their agenda.

“Mr. Greyson, welcome back,” the giant bald security guard donning a black suit greets me while taking my bag.

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