Page 22 of Between the Lines

“I’m just gonna go home.”

I blew out a sigh. “How far are you from home?” I asked, and she shook her head, letting out a bark of dry laughter.

“Like twenty minutes. Probably thirty with traffic.”

“Oh shit—you did say you were on my side of town.”

“Yeah. The fries are never good at the location by me. All this over some damn fries I shouldn’t even be eating,” she said, that revelation triggering a fresh burst of tears she tried to immediately calm.

“Shit happens,” I said. “You’re still out here by the desert?”

She sniffed. “Yeah.”

“Turn your ass around and just come to me then.”

“What?” She took her eyes off the road just long enough to look at me through the phone, confused.

“I’m looking at the landmarks you’re passing—if you’re where I think you are, that’s like five minutes from me. Just come over here so you take a bit to calm down, and I know you’re somewhere safe.”

“Shaw, I was just about to get off the phone with you so you couldsleep.”

“Andnowyou’re about to roll through here so I can lay eyes on you, and make sure you’re good.”

“Shaw.”

“Ellie, I’m not asking,” I informed her. “Either you can come here, or I’ll be at your door when you get home.”

“Which is even more of an inconvenience for you.”

“Exactly, so you may as well just ride through.”

She blew out another hard sigh, mumbled something that sounded like “Fine,”and then with one hand still on the wheel, she used the other to scrub her face dry from the tears. Her missing shades allowed me an unobstructed view of her rimmed eyes, and it really, really pissed me off.

“Hey…you know you can’t be out by yourself like that anymore, right?” I asked. “I don’t even be out like that, girl. I know this isn’t the first time somebody has mentioned that to you. Especially after that shit with Teagan, when her ex ran up on her in that store.”

When we were dating, I hadinsistedon security for her—had even paid for it myself so I could call it a gift and be offended if she rejected it to overcome any objections she might have.

A little toxic?

Fine, I’d cop to that.

But no shit likethishad ever happened back then.

It seemed that since the breakup she decided she didn’t need it—Ididn’t cancel the service; I would’ve paid for it indefinitely if it was up to me. But my demands didn’t carry weight like that with her anymore—and I couldn’t help feeling like she’d fired the securitybecauseI was the one who put it in place.

There was also though, theinsanityof her not thinking it was necessary.

She didn’t think she was big enough yet, which was clearly not the case, and hadn’t been for a long while—evenbeforeshe started acting.

“I know.” She shrugged, shaking her head. “I just…I don’t like feeling like I need a sitter.”

“Not a sitter. A protector. Aninsulatoragainst crazy shit like what just happened. I’m going to put somebody on you again.”

“I donotneed you to do that.”

“Clearly, you do, ’cause you’re playing with me right now.”

“Playing with you?” she asked. “You know I’m not your responsibility anymore, right?You broke up with me, remember?”

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