Page 97 of Without You

I hear Chad’s pickup pulling up to the shop so I tell Johnny that I’m letting him go. I watch through the window of the office as Chad hops out of his pickup and storms inside the office. “Johnny call you?”

“What the fuck is going on, Chad?”

“Johnny called you,” he murmurs. “Hand me your phone?”

“Fuck off.”

“Yours too, Katie. I’m being real here.”

Johnny pulls up, slamming his truck into park before it’s even come to a complete stop and runs to the door, flinging it open.

“You get ‘em?”

“No. He’s being a little irritable about the whole thing.”

“Because no one’s telling us what the hell is going on!” I shout.

Johnny approaches me slowly, like I’m a wounded animal about to strike. “Hand me your phones and we’ll explain.”

I look at Katie and nod. They’ve never led me astray before now, so it’s best that I trust them. Katie walks over to her jacket and pulls her phone out, handing it to Chad. I follow suit, handing mine to Johnny. They both pocket them immediately then motion for us to sit down.

“There’re a couple pictures online. They’re not… good.”

“Okay? Of what?” Katie asks.

Johnny and Chad share a look and then direct their eyes on Katie. Johnny’s the one who speaks up. “You.”

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