Page 75 of To Believe In You
“Hi.” Instead of going to the other computer to sign in, he first crossed to the coffee maker in the corner. “How was the latte?”
“I got it, but then I thought I saw Shane, and I hardly tasted the drink.”
He turned from the coffee maker. The machine gurgled as his jaw ticked. “Where?” The question came out in a low rumble.
If the bruise from Shane hadn’t disappeared a few days ago, she would’ve guessed the shadows under his eyes resulted from the bruise’s progression. With the rest of his face pale, the culprit had to be fatigue. Was he stressed about Awestruck? She should’ve told him she’d talked to John to pave the way for him, but at the moment, he wouldn’t care about that.
“I was waiting for my coffee when I saw someone who looked like him through the window. I figured it wasn’t actually him, but I tried calling my dad to see if he knew Shane’s whereabouts.”
Matt’s expression remained dark.
“He hasn’t called me back.”
“Your safety’s at risk, and he can’t return a phone call?”
“Neither did you.” The reply shot out, unchecked, and she immediately regretted it. She hadn’t left a message or texted, both things she could’ve done. Why hadn’t she?
Matt’s lips all but disappeared with the way he jammed them together. He took his mug from the coffee maker. With it in hand, he dropped into the other desk chair. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I am. Sorry for lobbing that at you. The guy I saw must not have been him because nothing came of it.” Lina fiddled with today’s ring, which featured a black onyx gemstone. His failure to call back stung, but she shouldn’t have resorted to an accusation. “What did you end up doing? How are you?”
He turned his back and woke the computer. “I don’t like the idea of you out in that remote house while he still might be around.”
“He probably isn’t. I imagine Dad bought a roundtrip ticket, and if Shanedidscrape together a couple hundred dollars, I’m sure he would rather gamble it away than spend it on the fee to change a plane ticket.”
“Unless he got your dad to shell out for those flowers, too, he’s willing to invest something in getting close to you. And heistrouble.” Matt punched in and rose, posture and expression tense.
“I’ll give you that last one, but the sighting was a false alarm. Everything’s okay.” Hoping to keep her audience, she scooted her chair an inch closer to the walkway. “Anyway, what were you up to?”
“I’d rather not get into it.”
Her jaw and shoulders slackened. “What? Why?”
He eyed her and rubbed his chest. “Leave a message when you actually need something. I would’ve called you back.”
“When I ‘actually need something’?” As though talking to her under normal circumstances wasted his time? “What were you doing?”
“I made a trip to Fox Valley.”
“Oh. That’s a long drive for one afternoon.” She held her breath because if she released it, questions would escape with it. Why was he being so secretive and defensive?
He didn’t take the awkward, lengthening silence as an opportunity to explain.
The front door opened extra-wide, and Chris appeared with his characteristic grin for Matt.
Her heart beat a warning to leave it for now. She’d recently prayed that God would show her Matt’s true character, and his sudden refusal to talk—especially delivered in that tone—waved like a red flag.
What was going on with him?
What if he’d relapsed? Was it unlikely? Or with all the stress, was confronting him a matter of life and death?
Matt greeted Chris, his voice enthusiastic, but not even a ghost of a smile on his face as they completed their handshake. The student moved ahead toward the practice room.
Lina waited until Matt was even with her desk to ask her question. “Is it already too late for that test?”
His confusion was his least negative expression since the start of this conversation, but once he decoded her meaning—he’d mentioned drug testing being a part of his return to Awestruck—his features and his fist tightened. “No.”
He worked with one student after another, yet as he ushered them in and out right past Lina’s desk, he failed to acknowledge her.
