Page 42 of Uncontrolled

Her mouth opens, but I’ve got her tongue tied. “What—no,” she sputters before looking to Nico for help.

“I think he’s a little old for you, Keeley,” Nico says with an indulgent sigh. “Besides, now he’s got cash enough to buy his own food.”

I latch onto the distraction. “Next time you feel like selling a resurrectionist, cut me in on that.”

Nico hops down from the desk and pats my stomach once as she passes by me. “I’m giving him two days,” she says to East, bargaining on my behalf as if I’m not standing right there. “Jamison trusted him.”

Of all things, it’s this that makes East pause. He shakes his head and then, with a dramatic sigh, rounds on Nico. “Yeah but…”

I wait as they muddle through their decision.

“A location on Corbin and Jamison.” Nico holds up a fist. Two of her fingers flash skyward. “Two days.”

“Impossible,” Quinn mutters.

I don’t ask what happens if I’m not successful. There’s no need. I just have to get the information to Allie.

Allie

Exhaustion shakes Talia’s muscles as she raises the weighted barbell.

“Come on! One more!” I’ve got my fingers under the metal, spotting her as she lifts, just as she’d done for me earlier.

With a grunt of struggle, she pushes the weights one final inch skyward and racks the bar.

Talia sits up on the weight bench, elbows on her knees as she catches her breath. Sweat trickles through her hair to drop from her forehead to the padded tiles before she swipes what remains away with her arm.

I circle to the front of the bench and take a seat beside her. At my feet is a water bottle so reused the plastic has gone cloudy. I unscrew the scratched cap and drink before passing it to Talia. Hers is still in her gym bag in the partitioned-off changing area.

“Thanks,” she says. She drains half and hands it back. “How are…” There’s a delicate pause before she forces herself on. “How are you and Ploy? Smooth things over after you got home last night?”

The effort of asking about him is costing her, even if I still can’t get her to call him by his actual name. Today, I let it slide.

I pick at one of the few remnants of label left glued to the bottle. “I don’t know,” I admit.

After unlocking the door to the apartment last night, I was sure he wouldn’t be there. Seeing him sleeping seemed more a mirage than ever when I woke up this morning to find him gone. No word, no text, no note, his pack against the couch the only proof he’d been there or would return. I’m not the type of girl to sit around waiting so I’m here. Real mature way to solve your problems, Allie, I think.

“Oh? Trouble in paradise?” Talia asks and there’s no denying the sliver of hope in her voice. Wincing, she rolls her shoulder and groans. “Didn’t take to being told our business was none of his?”

I decide to cut her some slack. I need to talk this out, and Talia’s my only option.

“We haven’t discussed it.” Getting up, I perch my hands on my hips and start to pace, telling myself it’s to stretch. “He was asleep on the couch like usual when I got home and gone when I came out of my room this morning.”

For a moment Talia says nothing. When she does, it’s a single word. “Couch?”

“He sleeps on the couch,” I say.

“Wait.” She leans back to take me in, braced on the bench. “You two aren’t sleeping together?”

“In the bed? No.”

A giggle breaks from her. “I didn’t mean in the bed, Allie.”

Heat floods my neck. “Oh, and you’re so experienced!” I shoot back. Talia’s never had a boyfriend, either. “You’re just as behind as I am!”

Her laughter fades to an awkward chuckle and then stops. “Fair point. But I figured after I busted you two dry humping on the fold out when you stayed at my place…I mean no rush, he’s your first real boyfriend.”

A sigh escapes me as I fiddle with the bottle’s lid. “Technically, he’s not even that. He keeps dropping hints about us being a couple or official or whatever, but Talia, this life…my life…and he’s…”

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