Page 88 of Desperate Crimes
They’re all looking at me with a mix of amusement, concern, and unholy curiosity.
“So, if he was so awesome, why are you here? And not there?” Cora asks, touching my hand gently.
And just like that, the certainty I felt in walking out becomes cloudy.
“I just—I’ve wanted him for so long,” I admit. “Even when I was too young to say it out loud. He was always just there—silent, awesome, untouchable. It’s like he walked out of one of Mom’s books, but darker. Real.”
The table goes quiet.
“I know there’s an age gap. I know how this looks. But I also know he does things to me no one else ever has. He makes me feel things. And that’s more terrifying than any of what happened this weekend. But what happens when he gets tired? Bored? I just thought it was better if I walked away first.”
Jade’s the first to break the silence. “Damn.”
“Okay, okay,” Cora says, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “But real talk—your dad is gonna murder him.”
“No, he won’t,” I say, sharper than intended. “Because I’m not telling him. And neither are you. Swear it.”
They all glance at each other.
“Fine. We’re gonna need more drinks and an NDA,” Aella mutters.
“No, we don’t. I mean, yes, of course, to more drinks, but Lee-Lee, we all swear to keep your confidence,” Clementine says.
“Sworn,” Cora adds.
Jade nods. “Murder pact sealed.”
I laugh, but it’s shaky. Because, yeah, I’m in way over my head.
And somehow? That’s exactly where I want to be.
But before I can respond, the back door to the bar slams open.
It’s crowded for a Monday night, but that’s what summer does.
Still, we all hear the sound it makes.
Thwack.
Heads turn. Conversations die down.
And then I see him.
