Page 10 of My UnTrue Love
“Good. So tomorrow, we’ll see my…” She broke off, suddenly feeling lightheaded. “Sorry.” She blinked away the dots that flashed in front of her eyes and kept going. “One of my grandmother’s old friends is…”
“Did you take your medicine?” He interrupted.
“Yes, I took my medicine.” Clementine’s tone was a mixture of exasperation and affection. “You set a timer for it, remember?”
He was a tyrant about her pills. If Bill was with her, he’d hand her the bottle before the alarm on his phone even sounded. If she wasn’t with him, she got a text reminding her to take them herself. Often several texts, until she responded that she’d swallowed the little blue tablets.
It was very thoughtful of him to take an interest in her health. He was such a supportive person.
“You look like you’re gonna faint.” He moved forward to wrap an arm around her waist, steadying her.
“I hardly ever do that. Only when I’m under stress. Yes,” she agreed, reading his expression and answering his silent complaint, “this situationhasbeen a little stressful, but I’m fine. I promise. No fainting.”
He didn’t seem appeased. “You’ve gotta rest.” His hand found the small of her back and he urged her down the sidewalk. “I’ll walk you home.”
Bill walked her home every night. It used to be that Johnny did it, because they were roommates. But ever since Rosalee came along, Johnny stayed at the studio later and later.Frustrated and tired, Clementine once decided to walk home alone. Exactly once. Then Bill found out about it and hit the roof.
He didn’t yell or anything. Bill wasn’t a yeller. But the man had beenfurious. She could see it all over his face, especially when he looked over at Johnny. She’d been very worried about Bill’s artistic temperament leading him into a fight. He could be hurt! She’d promised she’d never walk home alone again, mostly just to calm him down and keep him safe.
After that, every single night, Bill made sure he left when she did, and Clementine didn’t even bother to protest. She hadn’twantedto protest. She enjoyed walking with Bill. Hopefully, he wouldn’t get tired of seeing her so much, because she really was around him a lot.
Clementine pushed back a handful of her unruly hair. “You’re sure it’s not too much of a bother?”
“I’m positive, darlin’.”
She liked that he’d started calling her that. It was a dumb reaction, because lots of people used nicknames, right? It didn’t really mean anything. But it still made her feel very valued. She looked up at his angular profile and smiled.
God, he wassohandsome.
As usual, Bill slowed his steps, so he could position himself between Clementine and the buildings to their left. There were thin alleyways between the warehouses, filled with the flotsam and jetsam of various recording studios. Somehow, all sorts of strange things seemed to wash up in this part of Red River Valley. Bill watched every alleyway they passed. He was probably worried about her tripping over an old box or some broken equipment.
Such a considerate man.
Something moved in one of the alleys. Bill paused for a beat, glaring into the darkness. The sound slowed. His head tilted dangerously. The sound stopped. He grunted and kept moving.
“Was it a rat?” She asked.
“In a manner of speaking.” He muttered. “I’m glad we're not working around here anymore. I still can’t believe Johnny okayed renting a studio in this neighborhood. He knew you’d be leaving here at night and there’s all kinds of dangerous… things… in the dark.”
“Well, Johnny had his heart set on that new amp. We couldn’t afford itanda nicer space.” She frowned. “Then the amp somehow disappeared, right out of Johnny’s room.”
“Strange things happen.” Bill said philosophically. “Especially to assholes.”
“I suppose. Johnny was crushed about it, though.” She sighed. “Bad luck, I guess.”
Bill muttered something under his breath.
“What?”
“Nothin’. Coyotes don’t depend on luck, or fate, or any of that. We usually have to help things along by ourselves.”
Clementine frowned. “Coyotes are treated very unfairly in this town. I’m sorry, Bill.”
“That’s alright. Coyotes don’t need luck to get by. We don’t need anything.”
“Because you’re self-sufficient?”
He flashed a strange smile and then went back to scanning the darkness. “Because we’re always willing to steal some other bastard’s Good fortune and make it our own.”
