Page 53 of Ruined

“How much money do you need?” I asked. Haley looked at me blankly. “Your debt. Any fees. What do you need to get away from this place?”

Haley shook her head. “It’s not that simple.”

“It is.” She just had to name a price.

“What you can do is pay for my services.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m fine. A few more years and I’ll be fine.”

Years? “If it were only months, I wouldn’t care. But years, Haley?”

“I’m not supposed to talk about that stuff. Especially not with you.” She reached over and squeezed my arm. “Let’s enjoy the time we have together.”

Something was making her uncomfortable, not letting her speak her mind, and I knew why. There was a way to fix that.

“Let me take you out for dinner,” I said.

She touched her temple, then pulled back a strand of hair. “Aren’t you already?”

“Tomorrow night. It’s your night off, isn’t it?” I motioned around us. “We’ll go away from here.”

She studied me for a moment, her green eyes focused. “A night out?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t see why not.” Then she blushed and added, “Yes. I’d love to go out with you.”

There was that word again. How could she say it with such ease?

But there was one thing I knew. Haley might not have been comfortable discussing her fees here, but by ourselves, outside of the Dahlia District, I would make sure that she told me what was going on. I would figure out what she needed to leave.