“You could let me in,” David muttered, standing on her porch, sheltered from a dripping rain.
Thea stepped back automatically, letting him past the door. She’d been on the phone when the doorbell rang and hadn’t really thought to look through and see who it was before she opened the door.
That was stupid, and something she’d been taught very seriously not to do. Even before all the secret in their lives, Kay had insisted they watch way too many true-crime shows in their younger days. Even in college Thea had been keenly aware how quickly someone’s life could become a statistic. She’d always locked the garage door to any house she was in, and all the windows, and found front doors with windows in them, not just peep holes, and all the other ridiculous safety measures that’d seemed overkill and annoying at twenty-five.
“I wasn’t sure you’d be in town.”
Thea swallowed. “I said I’d be back the next week.”
“That was a month ago, and you certainly wouldn’t have told me if you left again.”
She had, technically, even if she hadn’t left the country. She wouldn’t have told him about Monterey either. Sharing just led to questions and…well, if they weren’t permanent she was probably better off not telling him anything. “Did you…need something?”
He pulled a bag off his shoulder and held it out. “These were your things.”
“My things?” Thea took the bag from him, confused. She’d never really spent time at David’s place. It was difficult, with Seb.
She spent so much time away from him for work she didn’t like to leave him for more than a few hours when she was home. There’d been dates with David, but other than a weekend or two away not a lot of other times.
She opened the bag and peeked in at an assortment of toiletry bottles and an old hairbrush.
“When we went to that cabin while Seb was at camp.”
“Oh.” Thea nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
She didn’t need any of it, and he could have called rather than driving all the way to her house. Unless he wasn’t making the drive to return an old brush and some half-used toiletries.
“I wanted to—“
“You—“
They both stopped, and Thea rubbed the back of her neck. “Go ahead.”
David crossed his arms over his chest and rocked on his heels. “I guess I just wanted to see if things were still awkward even when you were here.”
She frowned at him. “When have they not been awkward?”
He laughed, relaxing a bit, and shaking his head. “There were a couple of moments.” He looked around him, and watched her for a second. “We can be friends, right?”
“Of course.” Not that she had any idea what that meant.
He nodded, and stepped up to kiss her on the cheek. “Good. Be careful with yourself, D.”
“Yeah. You too.” She swallowed. “Thanks for bringing my stuff.”
David walked to the door, and stopped. “Just…answer one question for me?”
She blinked. “I can’t promise.”
He rolled his eyes. “Does Seb know what you do?”
That was the million dollar question these days. She’d gotten much less serious about keeping secrets from him, but she still didn’t volunteer information. More for his own safety than because she thought he was going to tell anyone.
“Whatever you think is enough, it probably won’t be any more when he gets older.” David smiled sadly. “People who care about you don’t like to be locked out of your life, D. Just some friendly advice.”
“Thank you.” She managed not to give him the death glare that went along with the power suit, but she still shut the door smartly behind him.
So what if he was right.
Come back tomorrow for P: Paper Airplanes.
Thea stepped back automatically, letting him past the door. She’d been on the phone when the doorbell rang and hadn’t really thought to look through and see who it was before she opened the door.
That was stupid, and something she’d been taught very seriously not to do. Even before all the secret in their lives, Kay had insisted they watch way too many true-crime shows in their younger days. Even in college Thea had been keenly aware how quickly someone’s life could become a statistic. She’d always locked the garage door to any house she was in, and all the windows, and found front doors with windows in them, not just peep holes, and all the other ridiculous safety measures that’d seemed overkill and annoying at twenty-five.
“I wasn’t sure you’d be in town.”
Thea swallowed. “I said I’d be back the next week.”
“That was a month ago, and you certainly wouldn’t have told me if you left again.”
She had, technically, even if she hadn’t left the country. She wouldn’t have told him about Monterey either. Sharing just led to questions and…well, if they weren’t permanent she was probably better off not telling him anything. “Did you…need something?”
He pulled a bag off his shoulder and held it out. “These were your things.”
“My things?” Thea took the bag from him, confused. She’d never really spent time at David’s place. It was difficult, with Seb.
She spent so much time away from him for work she didn’t like to leave him for more than a few hours when she was home. There’d been dates with David, but other than a weekend or two away not a lot of other times.
She opened the bag and peeked in at an assortment of toiletry bottles and an old hairbrush.
“When we went to that cabin while Seb was at camp.”
“Oh.” Thea nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
She didn’t need any of it, and he could have called rather than driving all the way to her house. Unless he wasn’t making the drive to return an old brush and some half-used toiletries.
“I wanted to—“
“You—“
They both stopped, and Thea rubbed the back of her neck. “Go ahead.”
David crossed his arms over his chest and rocked on his heels. “I guess I just wanted to see if things were still awkward even when you were here.”
She frowned at him. “When have they not been awkward?”
He laughed, relaxing a bit, and shaking his head. “There were a couple of moments.” He looked around him, and watched her for a second. “We can be friends, right?”
“Of course.” Not that she had any idea what that meant.
He nodded, and stepped up to kiss her on the cheek. “Good. Be careful with yourself, D.”
“Yeah. You too.” She swallowed. “Thanks for bringing my stuff.”
David walked to the door, and stopped. “Just…answer one question for me?”
She blinked. “I can’t promise.”
He rolled his eyes. “Does Seb know what you do?”
That was the million dollar question these days. She’d gotten much less serious about keeping secrets from him, but she still didn’t volunteer information. More for his own safety than because she thought he was going to tell anyone.
“Whatever you think is enough, it probably won’t be any more when he gets older.” David smiled sadly. “People who care about you don’t like to be locked out of your life, D. Just some friendly advice.”
“Thank you.” She managed not to give him the death glare that went along with the power suit, but she still shut the door smartly behind him.
So what if he was right.
Come back tomorrow for P: Paper Airplanes.
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