Page 23 of Escape
“Bummer. So, what’s going on with you, then? What does seeing this girl again have to do with why you seem distracted?”
I inhaled deeply and held my breath as I considered my response. Then I explained, “I have this gut feeling. Josie didn’t have the best home life when we were in high school. She lived with her dad, who used to abuse her. And after seeing her the other day, I can’t shake the feeling that either she hasn’t recovered from that trauma, or she’s got something else going on.”
“Damn, that’s terrible. Were you two ever?—”
“No. We were just friends. But I walked away from her after graduation, went on to enlist, and accomplished so many things I wanted to accomplish in my life,” I told him. “That doesn’t seem to have happened for her. Anyway, since I don’t have any additional classes today, I’m going to head over to the diner.”
Greyson raised a curious brow. “I thought you said she had a boyfriend.”
I jerked my chin down. “She does. But until I can confirm that she’s not in any danger, I’m not going to pretend she doesn’t exist.”
“Will you do that if you can confirm she’s safe?” he asked.
That was the million-dollar question. Nothing had happened between Josie and me the other day, and I hadn’t been able to get her out of my head ever since. Greyson knew what he was asking me. I needed to admit to myself that this wasn’t just about Josie’s safety. It was about something so much deeper than that. I’d never tread on her relationship, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t put myself in her life in a way she wouldn’t be able to avoid me. If things were okay in her relationship now but eventually turned sour, I wanted to be the guy she saw.
Knowing I could trust Greyson with my life, I didn’t hesitate to give him the truth. “Probably not.”
He let out a laugh. “Fair enough. Good luck.”
“Thanks, man. See you tomorrow.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’d gotten the biggest relief when I walked into Betty’s diner and saw Josie in the distance. She’d just walked out from behind the double doors that led into the kitchen. She hadn’t immediately spotted me, but as she rounded the corner of the bar, her eyes met mine.
I smiled at her, hoping and expecting I’d get something similar in return.
I didn’t.
If anything, Josie seemed rather uncomfortable. That’s when I noticed she wasn’t wearing her apron, and she was carrying her purse in one hand and keys in the other.
When she came to a stop in front of me, I asked, “Are you leaving?”
“My shift just ended.”
“Aw, man. I was hoping I’d be able to have that pie now,” I shared. Before she had the chance to respond, I asked, “Do you have anything pressing going on? Would you like to join me for a slice of pie?”
She dropped her gaze to the ground, confirming I hadn’t been wrong. Josie was the opposite of happy to see me. “Oh, um, well?—”
“If you can’t stay, I understand,” I assured her, even though I wanted nothing more than the opportunity to spend some time with her. “We can do it another time.”
Josie returned her attention to my face, and the disappointment was etched into every feature on her face. I prepared myself for the worst, but she surprised me when she said, “No. No, it’s okay. I can stay for a little bit. I’ve got to be out of here in thirty minutes, though.”
The feeling that moved through me was wholly unexpected. The smile was back on my face. “Thirty minutes should be plenty for pie, shouldn’t it?”
She gave me a small smile and a nod in return. “Yeah, I think so.” Turning to the side, she spoke to the hostess. “Hey, Brenda. My friend and I are going to grab a table in Lori’s section.”
“Okay.”
Looking back at me, she asked, “Ready?”
“Lead the way,” I urged her.
Josie didn’t wait. She walked away from the entrance to the diner and toward a booth on the opposite side of where I’d been seated when I came in days ago. “Does this work?”
I would have sat on the floor if I was going to have the opportunity to spend some time with her. “It’s perfect.”
As we slid into opposite sides of the booth, I couldn’t miss the look on Josie’s face or the way she moved.
“Are you okay?”