Page 26 of Unravel Me

“Is today the day Mr. Lockwood finally finishes his first Rainbow Loom?” She crouches down and nudges Lily. “About time, am I right?”

Lily giggles. “He’s still learning, but he’s doing great.” She sets her tools down and wraps her arms around Emily’s waist, squeezing. “Hi, Miss Emily. Are we gonna talk today?”

“We absolutely are, honey. I have time for you right now, but if you’re busy with Adam—”

“No!” She grabs a clasp and starts hooking it into the elastic. “I’m done!”

“Aw, man,” I whine. “Mine’s too short still.”

Lily leans over, examining the length of my bracelet. She looks down at hers and chews her lip. Then she hands me a clasp. “Do you remember how to finish it?”

“I think so.” I attach the tiny clasp the same way I’ve seen Lily do it a hundred times, then pull my tiny bracelet off the loom and frown. “It’s way too small.”

Lily takes the bracelet from me and slips it on her wrist, then gently takes my hand in hers and slips her bracelet on my wrist. “I’m a little faster, so mine is longer. We can swap. Now you can think of me when you wear my bracelet, and I’ll think of you too.”

Something thick catches in the back of my throat, and I struggle to swallow it down. “Thanks, Lil.”

“I’ll go wait in your room,” she tells Emily, then casts me a shy glance. “Bye, Adam.”

She runs across the room and disappears before I can say good-bye, and I climb to my feet, packing up the loom.

“You’re growing on her, huh?” Emily observes.

“She’s the sweetest kid ever.”

Emily smiles, but it’s sad and a little far off. As a child psychologist who works with the kids here, she knows a lot more about them and their lives than I do. I don’t want to be blind to the reason some of them are here, but I’m not sure I could stomach all of them either.

“She’s a very strong little lady.” She shakes the thought away and smiles. “Heard you have a date tonight. Jennie says you really like this girl.”

“I do. I think. I mean, so far. Yeah. I do.”

Her eyes gleam as they roam over me, as I shove my fingers through my hair and tug at my clothes. “My God, Jennie was right. You are a hot mess right now, aren’t you?”

I sigh. “I’m not proud of it.”

“Holy fucknuts.” She grips my hand as the front door opens and my coach strolls in. “Who’s that?”

“Davis.”

“Davis who? I’ve never seen him before.”

“He’s my coach. He visits with the kids here and there.”

“Mmm…” She traces her lower lip with her fingernail, eyes blazing. “Single?”

“Recently divorced.”

“Fuck yeah. Right up my alley.”

“His daughter is cute as hell too.”

“Daughter?” Her arms fall with her deflating sigh. “Ugh, gross. Kids.”

I arch a brow, gesturing at all the kids, the ones she works withfor freein herspare time.

“I get to give these ones back, Adam. I’m not interested in keeping one full time.”

The door to her office opens and Lily pokes her head out, eyes wide. “Emily? Are you still here?”

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