Page 118 of Watercolor Skulls

“Lily, I keep telling you this is not something bad. It’s good, it’s wonderful.”

She shakes her head, retreating from me.

“You shared my secrets,” she accuses.

I reach for her, but she backs up almost tripping on a headstone. A storm of panic is brewing behind her eyes. Her hands shake as she glares at me. “I…I can’t…”

Before I can grab her she is gone. My big dumb ass tries to keep up but her tiny frame dodges stones much more easily than mine. The last glimpse I caught was of her slipping behind a mausoleum. Then she was gone. Just like that.

“Lily, please come here. We need to talk. Running solves nothing,” I yell as I search high and low for her.

After an hour or so I realize she isn’t in the cemetery anymore and I’m going to need help. It’s possible she slipped behind the shelter belt of trees and headed into town or home or who the fuck knows where. God I’m stupid.

I group text the club, telling everyone how it went.

Dirk:You’re telling me you let a girl out run you?

Me: Fuck you.

JD:I’ll go check the junkyard.

Jesse:Girls can run fast too, Dirk.

Rachel:Raffe and I will check the house. Oh, and Jesse’s right. Girls can even be faster than boys.

Dirk:Okay ladies you can get off my dick now.

Jesse:Not a chance.

Me:All of you shut up. We need to find her!

Bill:I’ve got her.

Me:Thank god.

Bill:No. Thank Jose Cuervo.

Bill:She came in for one drink. That was eight drinks ago.

Me:Don’t let her leave.

Bill:Wouldn’t think of it.

Jesse:Let us know if you need us, big guy.

Me:I got it. We’ll see you all tomorrow.

Dirk:You sound pretty confident about that.

Me:Because I am.

I stop at the warehouse to grab my truck and then head into the bar but before I get there I get a text from Bill.

Bill:She’s on the move. I tried, man, but fuck she’s quick. I turned my back for one second and she was gone.

Fuck! I slam the palm of my hand into the steering wheel.

Me:Thanks for trying.

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