Page 7 of No More Spies

“How do you know if she’s coming home or going to one of herhaunts?” Tasha asked.

“Because I’m going to check her location.” He could alwaysfind her if she had her phone, and she always had her phone. He made it to thestreet. “Which I can’t do if I’m talking to you.”

“She already blocked you.” Tasha sounded completely sure.“It’s the first thing she would do.”

He brought the screen down and realized he actually couldcheck the app while they were talking. It was a multi-functional phone. Hepulled up the app and sure enough, the only people he could select from werehis brother and TJ Taggart. “Damn it.”

“I told you,” Tasha replied. “Give her some time. She’llcome around.”

But she wouldn’t. It was a real panic inside him now. Shewould write him off entirely. “I’m still looking.”

He hung up and tried her number. It rang once and then wentto voice mail. She’d blocked him. She’d probably blocked him before she’dgotten out of the backyard. “Kala, I’m coming for you and we’re going to talk.Pull whatever crazy shit you want to pull, but we’re going to talk.”

He strode into the night, confident he could fix theproblem.

Two hours later, he knew the problem was way bigger thananything he’d ever encountered and that his whole world had changed.

Chapter Two

Kala thought about going home and then turned the oppositeway because going home would mean telling her sisters what happened. And thenit would be real. Then she would have to admit to everyone Cooper was exactlylike the others.

Fuck him. It’s what her dad would say. At least she hoped hewould. The last thing she wanted was her dad to sit down and give her a dadtalk about how she didn’t need Cooper.

Because she was pretty sure she did.

The truth was she would have to admit there wasn’t onemagical person out there for her. She wasn’t going to have the kind of life herparents had. This was her truth, and she needed time to face it.

She considered getting an Uber out to Lou’s, but her parentswould get a notification she’d used the card they’d given her and Kenzieexplicitly for emergencies. She hadn’t figured a way around it yet. Somehow shedoubted they would call needing to see her bestie a real emergency.

Of course then she would have to tell Lou. Lou woulddefinitely look at her with nauseating sympathy.

She walked up the hill leading out of Cooper’s neighborhood.A couple of blocks over and she would be in the shopping center with the bobatea shop. How late was it? She was pretty sure they were open until midnight onSaturdays.

How pathetic was it to sit and drink tea by herself on aSaturday night when everyone else was being normal?

Her feet moved out of habit, but her internal storm ragedon.

Did she drag him down? Did she drag Kenzie down? Would Kenzbe like head cheerleader with the entire class worshipping at her feet if shewasn’t saddled down with a dark and broody and bitchy twin?

What would life look like for her siblings and parents andfriends if she wasn’t around? Her mom wouldn’t worry. Her dad wouldn’t have toexplain her antics to people. Tash wouldn’t be embarrassed.

Cooper was embarrassed by her. Such a fucking harsh truth tohave to face. He might care about her, might be willing to be with her in theshadows, but he would never walk hand in hand with her out in the open.

The idea of being around people held little appeal, so whenshe realized there was a park up ahead, she changed her plans. She found abench and sat, glancing down at her phone.

Maybe she shouldn’t have blocked him. Maybe he wantedanother chance.

She sniffled. She wasn’t giving him another chance to make afool of her. Nope. She was going to cut him out of her heart.

“Are you okay, honey?” a feminine voice asked.

Okay? No. She was emotionally ravaged, and now she’d nearlyjumped out of her skin because she’d thought she was alone. She saw a womanwalking down the trail leading to the playground equipment and the bench shecurrently occupied. She was probably late twenties/early thirties and wasjogging. She’d pulled her earbuds out.

Kala nodded the woman’s way. It was late, but it wasn’tcrazy late. There were a lot of people who worked out at night. It was Texas,and even the fall felt like summer during the day. “I’m good. Just chilling.”

The woman stopped. “Sweetie, no one chills in a park thislate at night. Not unless they’re either selling drugs or buying drugs ornursing a broken heart. Guy trouble?” The woman sat down on the end of thebench leaving plenty of space between them. “I’m sorry. I’m being way tootraditional. It could be girl trouble.”

Kala sat back, kicking one combat-booted foot over theopposite knee. “Guys are assholes.”