Page 49 of Love Me Boldly

I cringed. “I’m sorry. I really am, but we should talk.”

“Yeah. Never heard those words before and had a good outcome from it.” He walked past me toward the stairs to his place. The landing was covered, and four apartment doors were at the top. He went to his, the first door on the right, and opened it.

Compared to all the other times I’d been here, when he’d stood in the doorway and held it open for me, this time was different. He walked in, flung his backpack to the floor, and barely held the door as he walked through. I skirted around it as it started to close on me, and once it did, he dumped his bag on the floor with a thud.

I tossed my purse on the kitchen counter and put as much space between us as I could.

Graham read the move too, because he flinched. “I have to tell you, I’ve been wrestling all week between feeling incredibly guilty for not being fully honest with you and pissed you took off and haven’t let me explain. I’vecalledyou, Holly, and I’ve texted. And you practically ghosted me.”

“I know, but…”

“You’re a hard enough girl to get to know, you know? It feels like you have one arm stiff-armed out, only dropping it occasionally, but you know, when you do, it feels like I’ve won something special. And I get you were mad, hell, I don’t blame you for that. But hell, I don’t know…” He turned and shoved his hands through his hair. His ball cap flew off, and he spun, grabbing it at the last second.

Gone were his cocky smirks and disarming grins. There was pain on his face, and I was only going to make it worse.

“I needed to think.” I swallowed, and as I did, my phone rang from my purse.

Dread curled my gut at the familiar sound.

“Is there a reason why every time your phone rings you look sick?” he asked.

Oh, the irony of the moment. The horrifically perfect timing. For the first time since this had happened, I actually answered. “Yeah. Let me show you.”

I unzipped my phone, the ringer stopping, but it was my dad. He’d call right back. I hadn’t answered his weekly call in months. No doubt the first words out of his mouth would be filled with venom.

“Who is it?” Graham asked. He was smart. He had to see the way my hand shook.

“Hold on. He’ll call back.”

“He?” Oh, there was jealousy in that tone, a hint of it, but it was there all the same.

Right as rain, my phone rang. Barely glancing away from Graham, I hit the call button and then the speaker button.

The tinny, computerized voice came through. “Collect call from Durham Maximum Security Prison from inmate—my dad’s voice came through—Marvin Jones. Would you like to accept?”

“Holly,” Graham whispered, his voice thready, like he was expecting a monster to jump through the phone. His face was pale, but there was no way he’d made the connection because his thick brows were tugged in, almost knitted together, and his hands were on his hips, fingers flexing.

He was mad, but not at me any longer, moreforme. Oh, how that would change in a second.

“I’ll accept,” I said into the phone.

There was a beep. Then the familiar pause where I hoped he’d either hang up or become the dad I had when I was seven. But nope, he ended up being himself.

“’Bout time you answer the damn phone. You know how long I’m stuck in here? I’ve been waitin’ for you to send me money.”

“Hi, Dad.” And because this was already bad enough, and because this had to end and endnowso I could get out of there, I continued without taking my eyes off Graham. His lips had parted, and there was worry there, for me, sure. But I wasn’t the only one who could feel the weight of the ticking time bomb. “I’ll send some later tonight. But, Dad?”

“What?”

“You remember the name of the girl you killed? The one you ran off the road?”

A gasp and then a curse came from Graham. “No.” He shook his head. “No…it’s not…how could…”

“Stuck up rich little thing. That’s the only reason I’m here. Governor’s daughter. You think I forgot a name like that? Sophie. Damn stupid name haunts my dreams. Woulda gotten off with a slap on the wrist if her daddy didn’t run the state. Bad luck for me.”

Yeah…bad luck.

“Bye, Dad.” I ended the call and grabbed my purse.

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