Page 65 of Truly Forever

Oh, heavens. Where is this C-R-A-P coming from? I haven’t felt this way in eons.

Eons upon eons.

If ever. Not likethis.

“Come stay with me.”

Hollie’s eyes get as enormous as a Thanksgiving turkey platter.

Right, well, thatwasa tad off the wall.

Her head shakes, insultingly adamant.

“Hollie, please. Just for a few days. Give the cops time to figure something out, to get a handle on a plan for moving forward. Maybe get a security system?”

A tint of color has returned to her cheeks. “Don’t say stupid things, John”

I blink.

“I can’t afford a security system, and you know it.”

Of course. “Then all the more reason to get out of here.”

“I can’t stay with you.” Her fingers, long and slim with short, plain nails, pinch the collar of her work blouse.

Yeah, it sounds awfully awkward simply spoken, so the reality of what I’m proposing?Awkwarddoesn’t do it justice.

Try exhilarating. Appealing. Comforting—to me, go figure. “Jacob, too, of course. You’ve seen my place. You two will have your own space and plenty of room to get comfortable.”

Or to avoid me.I’m a realist. She and I have made forward progress, but I feel myself quickly relinquishing ground.

“I’m not being creepy here, Hollie, promise. I have serious unease about you two staying in the apartment. Look, I’m not a newbie when it comes to this kind of trouble, I hope you know that.”

Still working the top of that blouse—crud, the fidgeting is driving me insane—she credits my claim with a nod. Man, I want to wrap that fretting hand in mine and cradle it until the shaking stops.

“Please, Hollie. I wasn’t tactful, but I didn’t say the things I did to be a jerk. The thought of you being here and some guy busting in and—”

Her hand shoots up like a superhero who can stop incoming fire with mere flesh.“Stop.”

And this is where the initial derailment occurred. Squeezing my eyes, I try to channel my inner good guy. “Hollie, I—”

“We’ll come.”

Floored, I watch her disappear into the bedroom to pack.

∞∞∞

No good vibes here, baby.

The churlish teen riding shotgun in my car smells like a locker room. He also radiates animosity, though I’m still trying to get a read on its exact flavor. There are multiple reasons for him to be unhappy with current events.

Frankly, I’m still regaining my equilibrium since Hollie took me up on my suggestion that Jacob ride over with me. I’m guessing she wanted time to collect herself. While I’ve seen her frazzled before, tonight was, well, leveled up.

She also might have wanted to plan her strategy for avoiding me over the coming days, something akin to the beauty steering clear of the beast.

Now, if I remember the tale correctly, the situation evolved, and in the end—

“You better not hurt my mom.”

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