Page 23 of Beneath the Surface

She rolls her eyes and starts to walk down the street.

I head to my bike, but turn around at the last second, something tugging at my insides. “Hey, wait,” I huff out as I jog to catch up to her.

Damn, she’s a fast walker.

She spins around, Chase already asleep on her shoulder.

“Do you have a phone?”

She shakes her head, her jaw tightening.

“Okay, well… hold on. Just… wait a minute.” Rushing back to my bike, I dig in the side satchel, finding a spare piece of paper from my notebook and a pen, scribbling down my number and then walking it back to her and pressing it into her hand. “Here’s my number.”

She glances down at the crumpled paper. “And what do you think I need that for?”

I shrug. “Just in case.”

“In case of what?”

I shrug. “Anything.”

She nods and then leaves, and I stand at the corner of the diner watching until she turns the corner and disappears from my view. A strange sensation fills me up once she’s gone.

Something I’ve only felt once before.

A thick, tumultuous wave of protection crashing through my insides.

There’s just… something about her that won’t let me treat her like everyone else. And now that I’ve met her kid, well…

Turning around, I slide onto my bike, the roar of the engine loud against the still of the air, calming my senses and letting me sink into familiarity—which is what I need right now, because the way Lily and her son make me feel are anythingbut. They bring up emotions I’d thought I had buried when I left who I used to be and everyone in it.

I wait a few more minutes before leaving the lot, wanting to be able to drive by Lily’s apartment and make sure they got home safe, without her seeing me. Once I see the light flicker on through her apartment window, I head back to the motel, going straight to my room and pulling up my computer to open her file.

And then I jot down everything that happened tonight.

I still have a job to do, after all.

11

Lily

The next morning I call Annabelle to cover my shift.

I know Johnny will be pissed, but I don’t have a choice. Susan still isn’t back in town, her sister is in rough shape from the accident, so she’s staying in Phoenix for the week. And while I understand, I don’t really know what to do. I’ve never had a backup plan in place for Chase.

It makes the mom guilt hit hard, flooding through me and choking my chest, making me think of all the ways I should be doing things differently. Making me second-guess every choice I’ve made as a mother.

I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.

Johnny will most definitely fire me if I don’t show up for the next week, but there’s no one else around here I trust. And no one that I could afford even if I did.

There’s a loud knock on my front door, and I glance back to where Chase is sleeping for his nap, hoping that the noise doesn’t wake him up.

Who could that be?

The only people who know where I live are Annabelle and Johnny, no one else in this town even cares to ask my name. Swinging the door open, my breath whooshes out of my chest. Alex stands there, towering in the entryway, his arm leaning against the top edge of the frame.

“Wha—” I start to say.

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