Page 31 of How You See Me
Yeah. She’s more than adorable. Yet another reason why I can’t act on the things she makes pop into my thoughts. She’s pure sunshine covered in sugar, and I’ve been trained to walk through fire—not bask in its glow.
“Here you go.” She drops a large navy suitcase in the hall like an exclamation mark.
“That's your bag?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“It’s . . .” I glance down at it, wondering if it will change colors in the light or blast music when it rolls.
“It’s what?”
“Plain.”
“It’s luggage. What did you expect?” Amusement shifts her pretty lips. “Sparkling hot pink?”
“That’s exactly what I expected.”
Pivoting, she disappears inside her room. “I originally packed it all in this one just to mess with you,” she calls, soon returning with a hot pink suitcase that must have been decorated with a confetti cannon and glitter.
“I hate it.”
“I knew you would.”
“But it fits you.”
“Like the color yellow?”
“Don’t ever dim yourself for someone else, Josie.” The words fall out before I realize they’re coming. “Including me.”
Her smile falters at the corners, and I wonder if too many people have tried to tone her down, rein her in, make her less.
“What if I annoy them with my energy and never-ending questions?”
“Screw them. That’s their problem.”
“Hmm. Will you remember that when it’syouI’m annoying?”
I exhale sharply, thinking of all the ways she could push my buttons over the next week. “I’ll try.”
“Thank you."
“What else do you need to do?”
“Not much. Five more minutes.”
Why do I not believe her?
“Want me to grab anything from the kitchen? Snacks or drinks or—”
“There’s a canvas bag in the closet already packed.”
“Really?”
She hears my unfiltered skepticism and smirks. “Are you surprised I thought to prepare something, Sergeant?”
“Hayes. And yes, I am.”
Her hands come up to rest on her hips. “I may be scatterbrained and non-military in my daily routines, but I’m notcompletelyhopeless.”
