Page 89 of Give Me Redemption

Is he in there?

Will he see me?

Do I want him to see me?

God, I’m nervous as shit. I take a deep breath. What will I do if he comes up to me?

Harlow, you’re a grown-ass woman. This is just a man. A fucking guy. Hold your chin up, girl. We got this.

Yeah, we got this.

I got this.

“You gonna stand out here all day, or we going to go in?” Monroe pulls me from my very stressful inner conversation. For a split second, I thought it might have beenhim.

“I don’t know. I think standing out here is a good option.”

“You worried he’s in there?” he asks, stepping up beside me, looking very nice, dressed in dark slacks and a matching blazer.

I bite my lip. “I’m not even going to act like I’m not.”

He shakes his head. “He really got to you, huh?”

My eyes dart to the ground and I nod.

“I’ve thought about throwing all of this away and telling him the truth.”

He crosses his arms. “You can’t do that.”

“You think I’m stupid? I know Ican’tdo that.” I look back across the street. “He told me he loved me.”

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“Because it was personal. I’ve made a fool of him, and he doesn’t even know it,” I say as my heart cries.

“Dalton.” I look back at him. “You can’t be together. You know this. You and him… it just doesn’t work.”

I nod. “I know.”

“If it makes you feel any better, the guys say he hasn’t been coming in a ton lately. Maybe he isn’t even here.”

My stupid heart doesn’t want to hear that either.

“Why did I agree to do this?” I ask.

He laughs. “Come on. Let’s go.” I push off the car and we head to the line. Maybe I won’t see Jace, and hey, maybe we’ll even find a lead on the illegal shit going down here.

Maybe.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Jace

I roll my neck and take a hit of my cigarette. The room is smoke-filled and low-lit. The past few months have been a roller coaster of drugs, women, and alcohol.

It’s been fun forgetting.

It’s been fun not caring.

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