Page 78 of Ever With Me

“Because you’re my friend,” she said at last, tilting her head. “And it’s worth a shot. You don’t deserve to be blackmailed just because you had a car accident. Especially not by two jerks from this town.” She winked.

“You’re not a jerk.” He sighed and was quiet for another beat. “All right, fine. I’ll play your lookout. I can’t really afford to get caught, though, Madison. People are pretty quick to jump to conclusions with me. That’s why my manager thought he could sell a story about sex therapy and drug rehab to the press—even though I don’t sleep around and have never touched a drug in my life. But people believe what they want to believe.”

His words made her sad for him but also frustrated her. “I’m not saying this to be mean, Brooks, but you sort of let people believe that about you. You participated in toeing the line enough and didn’t push back when you should have. And if you won’t stand up for yourself, who will?”

He gave one stiff nod. “Send me your bill when I get back home.”

Right. He’s done with the life coaching.Still, she didn’t entirely mind his smart-ass quips. It was a side of him she liked. Felt genuine.

“All right, fine. But I’m setting my watch. Two minutes. If you can’t find anything, get the hell out of there. You don’t need to risk anything with people who dislike you, either.”

She waggled her brows. “Clearly, you don’t know how smooth I am.” Ridiculously, excitement bubbled through her. Life had certainly been . . .more excitingwith Brooks in it. She couldn’t remember the last time, since high school really, when breaking the rules had even been a realistic option. What was she supposed to do as a grown-up to break any rules? Eat dessert first?

. . . or move in with a new boyfriend after a couple of weeks of dating?

She hurried down the alley toward the Stricklands’ ice cream shop, Brooks following her. Tracing her fingertips against the sides of the bricks, she drew closer to the back door and surveyed the alley.

No one in sight.

“Stay here,” she whispered. “Like I said, if I tap twice on the door, get out of the alley, all right?”

Brooks’s face was a dark mask, but he gave a curt nod.

Her heart skipped a beat, then she turned the knob and opened the door. “Mr. Strickland?” she called softly, just in case he was close by. He might think she was there for a reason, if so. She’d have to think on her feet and come up with a reason for being there, but that was doable.

Silence answered her. She didn’t see anyone inside the small storeroom either.

Smiling to herself, she slipped inside.

The fluorescent lights were already on, and dust motes swirled in the air as she closed the door gently. This place hadn’t changed a bit in the twelve years since high school—shelves of industrial-sized boxes of cones, cups, spoons, ice cream sprinkles, and more.

Her boyfriend in high school, Liam Kelly, had once suggested they get into the chocolate syrup and whipped cream while back here. She grimaced at the memory of her younger self, so eager. That was the time Fred Strickland had caught them back here, too. Liam had been fired, and they’d ended up breaking up over the whole thing since his parents were so pissed.

Her first real heartbreak.

Focus.

This wasn’t a time to go down memory lane.

Especially bad ones.

Though the chocolate syrup had been fun.

She sidled up to a filing cabinet that housed the storage system for the security cameras on top.

Yes.Same old system. The thick layer of dust on top of the machine indicated how long it had gone without being moved.

The problem was, she was probably too late to get the SD card from the DVR. If she remembered right, Liam had needed to change the card every four days if he was locking up at night. He’d stored the cards in the filing cabinet . . .

. . . but it was locked.

Damn.

Jiggling it, she frowned.

Where in the hell did they keep the key again?

She couldn’t be mad at her seventeen-year-old self for not taking better notes of the Stricklands’ security system. If anything, she was impressed she remembered as much as she did.

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