Page 30 of Give Me a Reason

“I’m fine. When I came home, the door was ajar. Several places were broken into. It wasn’t just me.”

That made me feel slightly better. “They catch who did it?”

“The officers think it happened during the day sometime. Apparently, the locks are flimsy.” A shiver ran through her body, and I wondered if she was thinking about what would have happened if she had been home alone.

I pulled her into my body and wrapped my arms around her. She curled into me as I held her. It filled the hole in my chest that opened when I got her call. She was okay.

“Do they need anything else from you, or are you free to go?”

“They’re done for the night.”

“Do you need anything from your apartment?”

“I should get my clothes, but I’d need to wash them first.” Her eyes filled with tears.

“Ireland said you could stay with her. You’re about the same size.”

Her eyes cleared. “Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”

I ushered her over to my car, thinking she wouldn’t be able to drive herself. “We can get your car tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” she said as she got inside.

I pulled out of the lot, relaxing more the farther we got away from her place. I had so many questions, starting with why she was living there, but I bit my tongue, knowing it wasn’t the right time.

“I’m sorry you missed your gig.”

I shrugged. “Max was cool about it. He knows I have a daughter, and she comes first.”

“But you’re with me, not her.”

“Ireland’s watching her. I didn’t want her to come—” I broke off, hoping she didn’t realize what I was going to say.

Her face twisted. “You didn’t want Paisley in my neighborhood?”

“I was worried that whoever broke into your apartment was still there.”

“Right,” Aria said as she looked out the window.

“I needed to make sure”—something bloomed in my chest—“that you were okay.”

I felt her gaze on the side of my face, and when I looked over at her, her lips were parted in surprise. “Did you call your family?”

She shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to worry them.”

“Don’t you think they’d want to know?” I asked, glancing over at her.

Her gaze was on the side window. “There’s nothing they can do about it.”

My parents weren’t always the most attentive, but they’d want to know.

“My family isn’t like yours.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as I signaled a left turn.

“It’s just different. I don’t rely on them as much as I help them. It’s a different dynamic. I make sure they’re okay, that they have enough food in the fridge, that sort of thing.”

Was that an issue for her family? They didn’t have enough food? She didn’t seem to realize what she’d revealed, and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by bringing it up. “You can stay at Ireland’s for as long as you need to.” I hadn’t discussed it with her, but I was positive she felt the same way I did. There was no way we’d let Aria move back to that apartment complex. Whether she was targeted or not, it wasn’t safe.

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