Page 48 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

“We both know you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

Her jaw dropped in an overly shocked expression. “I’m trying to look out for you. What are people going to think if they see you two together? Can you even imagine what they’ll assume?”

“I don’t care what people think.”

“Well you should. She’s bad news, Tucker. God, you’re supposed to be a detective. Can’t you tell when someone’s not quite right in the head?”

I was done listening to this. “Have a good rest of your day, Julie.”

“Please, Tucker. You can’t date her. What will people say when they hear you went from dating me to her?”

“That I made a hell of an upgrade.” I started walking back toward the store, being careful not to run into any assholes this time.

“Yeah, literally no one around here is going to think that. They’re going to think you lost your mind too!” she yelled to my back.

I didn’t see Violet anywhere in the store. I walked back to the changing rooms. “Violet?”

“I’m here,” she said behind one of the doors.

I leaned against the wall by her changing room. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Sorry about what?” Her tone was overly casual.

I looked at the door. “About the way she acted.”

“You sound surprised. She’s always acted that way around me.”

I winced. “She said the two of you used to be friends?”

“No. I had a lot of friends in high school, but it turns out they

merely put up with me because I dated Joel. When he left, they made that pretty clear.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. There’s nothing worse than fake people.”

I smiled, and then realized she couldn’t see my face.

“So you dated Julie Sinclair, huh?” she asked through the door.

“For a little while after I moved here, yeah.”

“Why’d you break up?”

“Because I didn’t have enough free time to devote to her.”

“Funny, because I’m having trouble getting rid of you.”

We both laughed.

“Do your friends call you Vi?” I asked. That’s what Julie had called her. It was the same name that Joel had written in his notes to her.

There was a long stretch of silence. “I don’t have any friends.”

“Would you mind if I call you that?”

“Are you asking to be my friend, Detective Reed?”

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