Page 124 of They Are Mine

And then I wait.

Sure enough, he arrives before classes start.

Punctual. Disciplined.

He carries a briefcase. A coffee cup.

Not one of those stupid cups with silly writing on them.

No“Don’t Talk to Me Before Caffeine.”

No“Best Dad Ever.”

No“World’s Okayest Therapist.”

Just a solid, deep, woodsy green.

I make a note.

That could be his favorite color.

You can tell a lot from a man’s coffee cup.

Because he didn’t choose it by accident.

He reached for it without thinking.

Which means it’s a habit.

I wonder what kind of coffee he likes.

Noah could make him the perfect, life-changing cup.

Oh.

That would be adorable.

But I don’t have time to linger.

So I scribble down his plate number and head to work.

At work, I run his background.

No criminal record.

That’s not a given.

You’d be shocked at how many seemingly normal people have a past.

Hidden little sins.

Embezzlement. DUIs. Assault. Even the occasional murder charge.

But Elliot?

Spotless.

His address history tells me he’s new in town.

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