Page 104 of Forbidden Harmony

“Hi,” she said. Her voice was hoarse, andher eyes were rimmed in red.

“Hello, Addison,” Gideon said. “How areyou?”

“Good,” she said.

“Still no car, huh?” Gideon said.

Her smile was strained. “No, not yet. Hi,Preacher.”

“Hey,” he said.

She didn’t look good. She looked fucking terrible.Before Preacher could ask what was wrong, she gave them an awkward wave. “Niceto see you both. If you’ll excuse me, I’m pretty tired.”

She coughed into her hand before walking downthe sidewalk toward her apartment building. Preacher heard her sneeze as Gideonstarted up the SUV. “See you later, pookie-bear.”

Preacher gave him the bird and Gideon laughedand drove away. Preacher waited a beat then walked after Addison. He caughtup to her at her building door.

“Addison, wait,” he said.

She turned to face him. Her eyes werewatery, and he knew damn well she’d been crying again.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said.

She shook her head and fumbled in her pursefor her keys. “It’s been a shitty evening and I’m tired and don’t feel like talkingabout it.”

“Sunshine, please tell me why you’re upset.”

She blinked rapidly before coughing intoher hand. “I – it’s nothing important.”

“I want to know.”

She pulled a tissue out of her purse anddabbed at her eyes. “Daniel was supposed to go car shopping with me tonight.I sold my – some stuff yesterday and thought I might have enough money now to purchasea second hand one. But he blew me off to go drinking with that idiot Brad andthe other firefighters.”

She swallowed, wincing a little before clearingher throat again. “He’s drinking too much. I don’t know what to do about it.I tried to talk to him tonight about how much he’s been drinking, and he-he gotpissed at me and stopped answering any of my calls or my texts. I’m worriedabout him, but I don’t want to tell Mom and Dad, because they’re not going tobe home for a while yet and I don’t want them worrying about him if I’m just overreactinglike Daniel said I am.”

She rubbed at her forehead, her eyeswatering again. “Anyway, I should have asked Grace or Kira to go with me instead,but I… I need to get used to doing stuff on my own now, right? So, I decidedto go alone, and it was kind of awful. The sales guy was a total jerk andacted like I was an idiot, and all of the cars on the lot were completely out ofmy price range. So, then he was pressuring me to apply for a loan through them,but I can’t afford a car loan and my student loans, you know?”

He nodded and she leaned against the doorto her building, looking completely defeated. “My choices are to buy some awfulbeater car that will probably break down on me in the first month or take the busto work for the next year while I try and save more money for a car. Takingthe bus is a huge pain in the butt because the schedule is stupid and I -”

She stopped and rubbed away the tear that wassiding down her cheek. “Anyway, it’s just been a really bad day.”

“Did you eat dinner yet?” he said.

“No, I’m not very hungry. Would you beupset if I begged off on our, um, lesson tonight?”

“No,” he said. “I can order us something toeat and we can watch some TV.”

“It’s probably better if you don’t come in,”she said. “I’m getting a cold and I’d feel terrible if I gave it to you.”

He tried to ignore the immediate hurt that washedover him. “Yeah, okay.”

She fished her keys out of her purse beforesneezing into the crook of her arm. “Bye, Preacher. I’ll text you when I’m feelingbetter.”

She stepped into her building, waving againbefore heading toward the elevator. Disgruntled and worried about Addison,Preacher walked away.

* * *

“Hold the fuck still,” Preacher said.

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