Page 38 of Easy Steal

For me, the backpack was my safety blanket. Like a child who carried around their favourite blanket or stuffed animal. It had everything that I would need inside, should I ever have to make a quick escape again.

When our house was burned to the ground, I lost a lot of things, both material and not. But everything that was important to me that survived, stayed in this backpack. I was even the only one in Lilith’s who had bothered with a lock on their locker, to make sure I never lost it.

I unlocked the back door to Lilith’s and climbed the steep metal stairs and entered through the dressing room exit.

Rome was laying on the couch, with her arm over her eyes.

“Have you been here all night?” I asked, and she nodded without looking at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, moving her legs and sitting down, placing them back down over my lap. I slapped her on the thigh when she didn’t answer.

“What’s going on with Sierra?” she asked.

I sighed.

“I know you don’t want to talk about her Liv, but it’s getting to the point that we need to do something.”

“So I’m guessing either Sam or Toni told you about the message I got last night?”

She nodded, sitting up slightly.

“They both came by and told me about it.”

“I didn’t realise that Sam had actually read the text.”

“Well, he did, babe. He’s a little freaked out, understandably.”

I nodded, looking down.

“Have you told him anything about Evan?”

I shook my head, “not yet.”

“Look,” she sighed, “I get that you guys are up to something, but can you just let me know what’s going on so I can help you? If you’re really dating, like you say you are, then he deserves to know.”

“I know he does. It just hasn’t come up yet, and I don’t know what to say. I don’t like thinking about it.”

“I know,” Rome smiled, rubbing my shoulder, “but I also know that you’re a terrible liar.”

I rolled my eyes.

“So?” she asked.

“So, what?”

“What are you two up to?”

I sighed, pushing her legs off of me and standing up. I made my way to the small kitchenette and put on the water to boil to make coffee.

“I’m helping him,” I shrugged, my back still turned to her.

She laughed out loud, “helping him? With what?”

I sighed, turning around, “Larissa.”

Rome rolled her eyes and laid back down, “Jesus Christ. That boy needs help.”

“She saw us working together at the shop the other day, and she got all jealous. Sam thinks that it might work, might help her realise that she has feelings for him.”

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