Page 72 of Under an Endless Moon

“Okay,” I relented.

“Good. Now get to work. No more slacking.”

Levity pulled between us, that easiness we normally wore. “Fine, but if you need help, let me know.”

“Got it covered,” he said as he let the door drop behind him.

I wandered deeper back into the store, though I slowed, peeking over my shoulder to watch as Otto leaned down to dip the sponge into the water then started scrubbing off the offensive words.

Like maybe in doing it, he could erase some of my scars.

“The fuck happened?”

Oh, here we go.

From where I sat on the high stool behind the counter, I scowled at my brother who stormed in through Moonflower’s door.

“Whatever are you talking about, dear brother?”

I was going to make him work for this one a little bit.

He scowled right back. “Don’t act like you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about. You think I wasn’t goin’ to hear about it?”

“What, that someone got super clever with their spray paint on my window?” I injected as much sarcasm into the words as I could muster.

“Someone fuckin’ with my baby sister, that’s what. Motherfucker is dead.”

I rolled my eyes. “Do you and Otto share scripts?”

“Otto loves you like a sister, too, so yeah, can assure you he and I are on the same page.”

I tried to ignore the jab of discomfort his statement elicited. “Both of you are ridiculous, the way you worry.”

River’s sharp brow arched. “Says the girl who thinks I’m dead in a ditch somewhere any time I’m runnin’ five minutes late.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “There are creepers out there.”

“Exactly my point.”

Crap. I walked right into that.

“Well…you have enemies. I’m just as innocent as can be over here. No one has any reason to take issue with me.”

“Plenty of sick bastards hurt people for no reason at all or because they think they’re justified in some way. Worried this is some asshole who got his feelings hurt when you realized he wasn’t good enough for you.”

“You don’t think anyone is good enough for me.”

“Pretty much, yeah,” River said. “Half the time, all it takes to drive a man out of his mind is for him to get some twisted notion that he’s been wronged.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think I’ve been driving any man out of his mind lately.”

“Except for me.” He mumbled his exasperation.

I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t count. Besides, you’re the one who’s on trial here.”

There. Change the subject. But it really wasn’t a subject I wanted to tackle all that much. But it was going to have to be someday, so it might as well be right now.

Rip the Band-Aid off while the wound was still stinging.

---