Page 74 of Holding On To Good

Verity: Especially since I realized that I left last night without saying thanks but, in my defense, I’d like to point out that I was rushed from the scene by local law enforcement.

Verity: And maybe I wanted to see if I needed to add a postscript to that thank-you card, one apologizing for anything Miles may have said or done that was rude, inappropriate, infuriating or illegal.

Reed waited but that seemed to be the extent of it for now. Maybe her fingers had cramped up. God knew last night she hadn’t run out of breath or things to say.

But then, those dots flashed again.

Verity: So…did he?

Just to piss her off, Reed responded with:

Reed: ???

And could practically hear her irritated sigh from all the way across town.

Verity: Did Miles say anything to you that he shouldn’t have?

Verity: Wait. NM. Of course he did. He’s always saying things he shouldn’t say.

Verity: OMG! He didn’t arrest you or anything, did he?

And she thought he had an active imagination.

Reed: Not last night.

The moment he hit send, he cursed and wished he could take the text back. But it was too late.

Verity: But he has arrested you before?

Verity: Because even in the midst of his and my little familial drama, it was kinda clear that you two know each other.

Verity: I mean, he called you by name and you weren’t exactly intimidated by him, whereas most boys are.

His eyes narrowed. He reread her text. Then read it again, his chest tightening as suspicion began to take hold.

Reed: He scare off all your boyfriends?

Verity: Hardly.

Reed: That why you texted me? To yank his chain?

Those dots flashed yet again for so long he wondered if she was writing a damn novel. He hated that he was waiting on her. That he couldn’t put the phone down.

That he was holding his breath.

But she must have deleted whatever she’d been typing, because when her next text came through, it was very simple.

Verity: No.

He didn’t believe her. This was some sort of game to her. The perfect, pretty princess wanting to take a walk on the wild side. Piss off her brother in the process.

He didn’t believe her and he fucking hated that he wanted to.

Reed: Your brother busted me for shoplifting when I was eight.

Verity: What did you take?

Reed: A couple of candy bars.

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