Page 20 of Boulder's Weight

"You ever think about doing something else?" I ask, curious about what makes her tick.

She gazes into her coffee, as if the answer might be floating in the dark liquid.

"Sometimes," she admits. "I used to draw. Thought maybe I'd do something with that someday."

"Yeah? You any good?"

A small smile touches her lips. "I was. Haven't done it in a while though."

"Why not?"

The smile fades. "Life gets in the way sometimes."

There's a story there—probably the same one that put that black eye on her face and has her looking over her shoulder—but before I can decide whether to push, my phone rings.

Razor's name flashes on the screen, and I hesitate before answering.

That's not like me.

Club always comes first.

Always.

Yet for some reason, I'm reluctant to end this moment with Kelsey.

"I should take this," I say, already knowing it's club business by the timing of the call.

She nods, understanding in her eyes. "Go ahead."

I answer, moving slightly away from her. "Yeah?"

"Need you at the old warehouse behind Emilio’s," Razor says without missing a beat. "Got a situation developing. Be discreet."

"I'll be there in twenty," I reply, ending the call.

When I turn back to Kelsey, she's already rinsed her mug and set it in the sink.

"Club business?" she asks.

"Yeah." I run a hand through my hair, suddenly annoyed that our time is being cut short. "I gotta go."

"No problem. I should head out anyway." She gathers her few belongings, moving toward the door.

I follow her, suddenly reluctant to let her leave.

On impulse, I grab her phone from her hand.

"What are you?—"

"You don't have a lock on your phone?" I ask, already adding my number to her contacts.

She shrugs, watching me with wary eyes. "Never needed one."

I hand it back to her. "In case you want a local guide to show you around while you're here. Now you've got my number."

Kelsey looks at the phone, then back at me, a small smile playing at her lips. "I'll keep that in mind."

As she steps toward the door, I catch her arm gently.

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