Page 36 of All Wrong
“Oh, Rinn. I’m so sorry.”
“It is what it is.”
“What are you going to do?”
There was nothing she could do, except grin and bear it. As satisfying as it would be to walk out with a good, old-fashionedtake this job and shove it, she needed her job and her paycheck. She had to find another place to live, and no one was going to give a lease to someone who was unemployed.
“Tonight?” Corinne waved toward the snacks and television. “That.I’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.”
Lacie bit her lower lip. “Fudge. All right. We’ve got this. Let me call Shane and tell him there’s been a change in plans.”
No, no, no!That was what Corinnedidn’twant.
As Lacie began to dig through her purse, Corinne finally noticed that she was wearing a pretty floral-print dress. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant bun, and she’d applied light makeup, something Lacie didn’t normally bother with. And it was Friday. Lacie and Shane’s date night. Which meant Shane was down in the lot, waiting in the car at that very moment.
Corinne snatched the phone out of her sister’s hand. “No. I’m fine. Go spend quality time with your husband.”
Lacie blinked. “You don’t want me to stay?”
“No,” she said firmly, herding Lacie toward the door. “Go. Your hot hubs is waiting.”
“But—”
“No buts. Nothing’s going to change between now and tomorrow.”
“Fine, but you’re coming for dinner tomorrow,” Lacie said, placing her hand on the doorframe.
“Can’t. Got a date.”
Lacie’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?—”
“I love you, sis. Bye.”
Corinne closed the door behind her sister and exhaled heavily. Lacie’s heart was in the right place, but this—the living situation, the job, all of it—was something Corinne had to figure out on her own. This washercrossroads. The universe’s way of telling her that it was time to reevaluate, make some decisions about where she wanted her life to go, and then make it happen.
But first, she had a text to send. Making spur of the moment plans on the go to subvert the wholeliar liar pants on firething was becoming a bad habit.
Hey, Brett. The drive-in’s showing a classic horror double feature tomorrow night. Interested?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NICK
In yet another inexplicable moment of insanity, Nick cruised past Corinne’s apartment building, then turned at the next block and pulled against the curb. Dismounting, he walked back the way he’d come.
Her newly repaired vehicle was parked in her space. Glancing up, he counted the windows and saw that her light was on.
She’s home. A sense of relief flooded through him, only to be washed away with another thought.Is she alone?
He hadn’t spoken with her since the night he’dbeen in her apartment. He had seen her though. At the garage, when she came to pick up her car, though Sean was the one to handle that. At The Zone, in passing, when she showed up for the dance classes she did. And earlier today, when she had lunch in that new café with Captain Sweatsocks.
The look on her face when she’d spotted him—he still couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Total deer in the headlights at first, followed by a quick succession of drive-bys. Surprise. A brief flash of … guilt? Then genuine curiosity, as if she couldn’t imagine why he’d be parked across the street, glaring at her.
It was a damn good question and one he couldn’t answer.
Nick stepped back into the shadows as a sleek black Lexus entered the lot and pulled into one of the guest parking spots. He knew the vehicle, recognized it as Shane Callaghan’s. Lacie got out of the passenger side, dressed for a night out, and walked toward the entrance. Shane’s eyes remained locked on her the whole way. Only once Lacie was safely inside did Shane begin a thorough, methodical sweep of the lot and the surrounding area.
Fuck. Is Lacie picking up Corinne? Is this a double-date situation?
