Page 22 of Trusting Skulls

I shake my head, going back to my task of chopping vegetables. “Well, no, I … well, I thought you were a good bad guy. Not a bad bad guy.”

This really sends her into a fit of laughter. “A good bad guy?”

“You know, like him.” I nod over my shoulder toward Dirk.

“Okay, I guess I get it.” Her gaze roams over her husband before turning back to me. “Back then I told myself I was a goodguy. I cleaned up the supply. Monitored the users. Made sure no one got too carried away. In the end, I realized that no matter how I tried to spin it, it was wrong.”

“Partying and selling drugs are two different things,” I tell her, hoping I don’t offend her.

“They are. I’m just showing you that no matter how much you fuck up in life, you can always move on from it.”

I spend the rest of the evening deep in thought. Can I move on? Is it too late?

My skin begins to feel too tight, so I stand up. I walk over to the windows, wishing it wasn’t so dark outside. I’m going out of my mind here.

My thoughts go back to the messages I missed from my friends. Surely someone is going to wonder where I’m at and start asking questions.

Face the truth, Lexie. None of those people are your friends. No one is coming for you.

My heart jumps into my throat when Jesse’s phone rings, and she answers it.

“Hey, yeah. She’s been waiting for your call.” She pauses and laughs lightly. “Yeah, we’ll give you some privacy.”

She hands me the phone and then waves for Raffe and Dirk to join her outside. I settle into the chair by the fireplace and curl into a little ball.

I listen to him breathe on the other end of the line for a second before speaking. “Hey,” I finally say quietly.

“Fuck, I can’t tell you how good it is to hear your voice.”

“It’s nice to hear yours too,” I tell him honestly. I don’t know why I was afraid to talk to him. He’s the same old Ash.

“So, you’re up at the cabin?”

“Yeah, wherever that is.”

He chuckles lightly. “I’ll be home in a few days.”

“I don’t know when I’ll be … home.” It reminds me I don’t have one.

“Listen, Lex, the club might think they can keep us apart, but that’s not happening. I’m doing really good. I promise.”

“It’s me they’re worried about, Ash. Not you. I’ve been partying a lot.”

He sighs, his frustration and disappointment spilling through the receiver.

“I didn’t want to get into a big discussion,” I tell him, needing this call to be over. “I just wanted to let you know that you can open the first letter I sent you.”

“You didn’t send any of them. How will I know which one was the first?” he grumbles.

“They’re color coded,” I answer, slightly embarrassed.

“By?” he encourages.

“The colors of the rainbow. Start with the red one.”

He laughs lightly. “Clever.”

“I wasn’t trying to be.”

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