Page 127 of The Reluctant Hero

“Have you made anyone mad lately?”

She’s focused on the road casually, like nothing happened. Her hands aren’t even shaking.

“No?” I stop at the blurted word and try to think as my body settles into jitters. “The only person I can think of is Loser and his trio back there.”

My mind shifts to Gabriel’s cold face, and I smack the thought aside quickly. One bout of mistake sex wouldn’t lead to this. That’s stupid.

South nods and pulls directly to the door of the apartment complex. Her eyes meet mine and a cold chill washes over me at the lack of emotion in them. I’ve noticed it before, but somehow, this intense stare is worse than usual. As if she’s pissed somewhere deep inside, and her dead eyes are trying to take it out on me.

“If you leave your apartment, get a ride. No more walking. Start working on honing that sense now.”

Her tone is harsh and grating like the words have gone through a shredder to come out. Her breaths are starting to become choppy.

“Why?” I ask her, completely baffled. I’m not touching the superhero power delusion.

“Do you wear a hood and sunglasses when you drive?”

“No,” I scoff in disbelief.

“Do you cover your plates in mud?”

“What the hell?” I ask with no clue where this is going.

“Whoever was driving did. Odd, don’t you think?”

“It wasn’t some granny that lost it?” My brows furrow, and that phantom feeling of a shoe of doom dropping increases.

“No,” she assures me and turns to face the windshield. “No more walking until I know.”

“Know what?” Why does she sound like this was something more than a freak accident? That’s all this is, right?

“Who,” she says in such a final tone I decide I’d be safer outside the vehicle. I barely get the door shut before she’s placidly driving away.

“Bye?” I wave with my middle finger.

I grip my arm, twisting it to see the damage while I walk into the complex. My attention is immediately snagged by Manny as he freezes with a horrified look on his face. He’s in front of the mailbox, and he has a very familiar envelope in his hand.

28

Constant State

Amanda

The envelope is small. Another round of photographs. And Manny has it. How?Why?Please tell me he didn’t look at them.

“What are you doing?” My eyes move from him to my open mailbox and back.

“Nothing,” he says with wide eyes. “I just saw this sticking out.”

He’s sweating. I know he’s lying.

“Ok. Can you help me? I cut myself.” I lie back with a grimace.

“S-sure,” he says with a lot of enthusiasm.

“Thanks.”

He walks ahead of me with the envelope in his hand. In his rush, he forgot to close the mailbox. He knows what it is, alright. The faker! I thought we were friends.

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