Page 29 of Home Game

“Because I don’t understand you. I don’t understand your world or how any of this happens to a person.”

“I worked late that night.”

“At that place?”

“No. I work at a fast food place and my manager, when he hired me, told me he could schedule me for just mornings because that way, I can still get back to the shelter in time. But lately, some other staff have night classes, so he schedules me in wherever.”

He was listening intently.

“So, I got off work at 11 PM. I had no place to go.”

“How did you end up in the middle of an industrial area in a rainstorm?”

“Why do you care?”

“Just tell me.”

I glared at him with my one good eye. “Fine. I go there because the waitresses are nice and they give me free food. They don’t care if I fall asleep in my booth for an hour or two. They look out for me and they know me.”

“Jesus.”

“I took the bus out there but it was closed because of some power issue.”

“Why didn’t you leave?”

“It was raining so hard. And the bus only comes once an hour. I thought if I hid in the back, I would be safe.”

“But you weren’t.”

I looked away. Ashamed at how my lips were trembling. “I should have walked, but I was so tired and cold. I didn’t want to get drenched.”

“Zoey.”

I held up my hand as if I could ward off the sympathy in his voice. “Don’t.”

“You don’t have to be so strong all the time.”

I looked back at him. “Yes. I do. If I don’t play it smart and stay tough, this is what happens to me. Or worse. I got lucky. That is whatthe nurse told when I woke up. She looked at me and told me I was lucky. My kind of luck is that I didn’t get raped or murdered.”

I couldn’t read his expression.

“Happy now?” I snarled, feeling humiliated that I had shared all that with him.

“Stay here with me.”

My heart beat. Thump. Thump. Thump.

“You don’t want that.”

“Just stay until you’re healed and back on your feet.”

“Why would you even do that?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re stupid. You know nothing about me. I could rob you blind or mess up your place.”

“Are you going to do that?”

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