“Never met him. Died before I was born.”
Poor kid. She’s on her own.
She finishes off the burger and starts on the Big Mac. Her face screws up. She presses a hand to her stomach and releases a large belch.
“Nice.” Lucas holds up a fist for a bump. She gives him a death glare and goes back to the burger.
His hand drops. “I know you’re hungry, but you might want to slow down.”
Staring at him, daring him to say something, she jams the rest of the Big Mac into her mouth.
“Jesus,” he mutters, then slurps the dregs of his soda. He waits until she finishes chewing before he says, “So, you’re an orphan.”
“Something like that.”
“Any aunts or uncles?” She shakes her head. “Boyfriend?”
“Finn. He’s in a band.”
“Where’s he?”
“Hollywood. He’s coming to get me.”
“When?”
“When he can get here.”
“Does he know you’re living in a car?”
She ignores him and starts on her fries.
“Where’d you meet him?” He’s curious about this guy and wonders if he really exists. Why hasn’t he helped her?
“Interloper.”
“What is that?”
“An app.” She stares at him like he’s an idiot.
With a mix of concern and curiosity, he looks up the app on his phone. Posted across the top of his screen in weighted bold lettering is a single title: Talk to Strangers. The page goes on to detail how the app randomly pairs users with another person based on common interests to talk one-on-one. Perfect for people looking to make a friend.
That’s how she met this guy? Oh, hell no. He couldn’t imagine Lily letting Josh on this app. But Sunshine Girl is an orphan. She doesn’t have anyone to warn her that guys prey on girls like her through these kinds of apps.
“Have you met Finn in person?”
She shakes her head. “Not yet. But he’s cool. I know everything about him.”
There isn’t anything cool about this. “How old is he?” He’s willing to bet Finn lied about everything, including his age.
“Nineteen.” She flings the empty Big Mac box off her lap. It flops onto the ground and bounces to Lucas’s boot.
Nineteen, his ass. “And you believe him?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” But her gaze shifts away. She has doubts. Either that or she’s been lying to this guy, too.
Damn, this girl is naive. And she’s living on her own? He’s shocked she’s survived as long as she has.
He glances at the time. It’s almost 2:00 a.m. “Grab your stuff. You’re coming with me.” He stalks to his truck.