Page 88 of Lawton

I heard a door slam and looked up to see Chloe coming down her front steps. Watching, I let out a long, unsteady breath. She was okay.

At least, she looked okay. She wore a black skirt and matching blazer. No coat. In this weather? Why not? When she spotted me, she frowned.

Too bad. I wasn't going anywhere until I knew more. As she moved toward me, I tried to keep my voice level. "What happened?"

She was walking fast, with her head up, trying to act like it was no big deal. But itwasa big deal. I could see it on her face and hear it in her voice when she said, "As if you don't know."

Me? I felt my eyebrows furrow. "How would I know?"

She stopped at the driver's side door, but didn't open it. Our gazes met across the low roof of her car. "Never mind," she said. "It's nothing."

I looked down at the broken window. "It doesn't look like nothing to me."

"Forget it." Her voice was trembling now. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

The hitch in her voice almost broke my resolve. My voice grew quiet. "You wanna make me say it?"

"Say what?" she asked.

I love you. I've loved you since the first time I saw you.

I shoved those thoughts aside. If I pressed my case now, I knew exactly what I'd be – a selfish bastard. I glanced at her car. Who the hell had done this?

I crossed my arms. "First, tell me what happened."

"No." She lifted her chin. "You tell me what you're doing here. Wait, lemme guess. You're just in the neighborhood?"

I pointed out the obvious. "I live in the neighborhood."

She didn't look amused. "I gotta go."

"Where?" I asked. "To get it repaired?"

She let out a breath that sounded too unsteady for my liking. "Not today."

Why not today? My voice rose. "You're driving it like this? In this weather?"

"I'm not going far," she said, ruining the obvious lie by shivering in the cold wind. Where the hell was her coat?

If I had my way, she wouldn't be anywhere – not like that, and not with that broken window.

"You want a ride?" I asked.

She bit her lip, as if thinking.

Say yes.

She shook her head. "No." Her voice softened. "But thanks for the offer." She gave me a hesitant smile. "Seriously."

Behind the smile, she looked cold and tired, and maybe a little defeated. Like she'd been beaten down one time too many.

I tried again, working hard to keep my voice gentle. "What's wrong?"

"Why does something have to be wrong?" she asked.

Because somethingwaswrong. And I wasn't going anywhere until she told me. I crossed my arms and waited.

She sighed. "You talk to Brittney today?"