Page 102 of His To Erase
“Sort of.”
“Ani—”
“I can’t talk about it yet.”
“Not an option,” she says, taking a sip of her coffee. “You ghosted me and showed up looking like you got mauled by a sexy bear. So either you talk, or I start guessing—and you know I’m not shy.”
I glare at her, but there’s no heat behind it. I’m too tired, and frankly still too raw. “I don’t even know where to start.”
She shrugs. “Start with the part where you didn’t die.”
I exhale, leaning back in my chair, and stare at the chipped edge of the table, trying to decide how to start. “I got attacked.”
“I see that.”
“And he found me.”
Her mouth tightens. “So the hot, tatted menace stitched you up like a psychopath-turned-doctor, and you still won’t give me a name?”
“Steven.” I mutter.
She whistles low. “Damn. I can’t tell if I want to high-five you or call the cops.”
“Same,” I say, a dry laugh catching in my throat. “Honestly? I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
Sarah reaches across the table and steals a piece of my bagel. “One. Thank God you’re alive. Two. Sounds like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
We eat in silence for a beat when Sarah breaks the silence again. “Are you still seeing the other one tonight?”
I nod, stabbing my straw into the melting ice of my water. “He wants to take me to dinner.”
“You gonna tell him to go fuck himself?”
“Eventually.”
“Jesus.” She leans forward, all playful sarcasm gone. “Just be careful, okay? I know you joke, but you’ve been off lately. And I don’t trust Frank. I never did.”
“Noted.”
“And Babe?”
“Yeah?”
“I mean it,” She says, pointing at me with her straw. “No more ghosting. If I don’t hear from you by midnight, I’m calling the National Guard.”
I shake my head, but there’s warmth curling in my chest. “You’re insane.”
“And you look like shit, so we’re even.”
That’s the thing about Sarah, she really would too. I know in a heartbeat she would murder someone for me and help hide the body. I really want to tell her the rest, but there’s not enough time in the day. I’ll tell her later when we have more time. Then maybe I can figure out what to do.
When we stand up to leave, she pulls me into a quick hug.
“You good?” she asks.
I nod, lying through my teeth. “Yeah.”
She lets me go, but not before giving me a look that says she doesn’t believe me for a second. “Text me. Or I swear to God, Ani?—”
