揘o. I just want to get home to my family and clear my head. Any chance you could drop me off at the airport? I have a flight to catch.?
揇efinitely. That gives me a good half hour to try to change your mind.?His goofy smirk says he抯 only halfway serious. 揧ou know you抮e the best person we抳e had in R & D in ages, hands down. Gina Walker抯 nice and all, but she goes by the book. The lab geeks assemble recipes, but they don抰 cook, if you know what I mean.?
揟roy, I know棓 I hate that he抯 right.
He laughs loudly again. 揂nd you抮e so modest too. What the hell? I bet if you asked to double your pay, you抎 get it approved in a heartbeat.?
Now it抯 my turn to laugh, even if I feel disembodied. 揅ome on, now you抮e just kissing butt. The pay was great, so it抯 not that. I抦 just...not a good fit. Not for this company...or for him.?
Whoops.
I clamp my lips shut.
I didn抰 mean to say that last part out loud. In the silence, it hangs in the air like an armed grenade, ready to explode.
揇amn shame, Eliza,?Troy says slowly, inching the car forward in the rainy traffic. 揧ou抮e mighty good with both Lancasters.?
揃oth of them??
揟he big man and his princess, yeah. You broke up their old routine and believe me, they needed it,?he says, his eyes fixed on the road.
There抯 that twang of guilt on my heartstrings.
I抦 going to miss that girl so much.
About as much as I抦 trying not to miss her ginormous prick of a father. He抯 too good at giving me all the conflicted feelings in the universe.
揑 hope they抣l be all right,?I whisper. 揇estiny was so upset when those guys knocked her down and took the necklace. I felt awful for her, and I still hate that I could抳e prevented the whole thing. I shouldn抰 have let her walk over to the park alone. Now, she抯 lost another piece of her mom...?
揧ou抮e still worrying about that??His tone hardens, but then he looks over with that easygoing smile. 揑 mean, it was daytime. A lot of folks hang around a crowded caf? She told me all about it. No reason to think she抎 be shoved down and robbed in broad daylight, as shitty as this city gets sometimes. Me, I can抰 wait to get back to Bali.?
I manage a thin smile. 揑 could抳e had her wait to meet me. I shouldn抰 have let her go wandering on her own. Cole trusted me. I just wish I hadn抰 ruined it.?
揝he抯 fifteen years old. Not five.?
True enough, I guess.
Actually, that reminds me...
I start pawing through my purse, double-checking that I have everything I need for my flight. When I see the small black box, I freeze.
揙h. Oh, crap!?I moan.
揥hat抯 up??
I look at him. 揗y friend Wayne makes this amazing jewelry. I had him make a replica of Destiny抯 necklace. It抯 not perfect and it抯 definitely made of cheaper materials, but it抯 good enough to tide her over until she gets something better. I know it can抰 replace Aster抯 necklace, but...I hoped it would give her some comfort.?I slouch in the seat and sigh. 揈xcept, it won抰 now. I forgot to mail it. I know this weather sucks, but do you think you could swing by UPS on the way to the airport? I really want to get this to her.?
I open the box, retrieve the necklace, and hold it up, letting the black onyx turtle dangle from the chain.
We hit another touch-and-go traffic snarl.
Troy looks over as he stomps the brakes and stares, his jaw visibly tightening.
?..um, is something wrong??I ask.
揈liza, in my humble opinion, you ought to think twice about mailing that thing,?he says.
Whoa. I抳e never heard this hurt, oddly sad edge in his voice before.
揘o? Why not??It抯 hard to get the words out.
揘ot all memories are good ones, lady. Destiny抯 been through enough shit with her mom and I never wished her any harm棓
揥hat? What do you mean by harm??I ask, confused.
I don抰 understand the weird change in his mood. It抯 just a hamfisted replica of her mom抯 turtle necklace. What抯 the big deal?
He stares at me like he抯 trying to decide if I抦 stupid or cruel.
揝hit, never mind. That came out wrong.?
I cock my head, eyes still on him as he stares at the road. We抮e finally moving again at a five mile per hour crawl.
揑 don抰 follow, Troy. Why would you say you never wished her any harm? It抯 not like you had anything to do with the robbery...?
揃ecause you didn抰 let me finish the sentence, chatterbox. Jesus,?he snaps.
My eyes go wide.
Why do I get the impression I抦 riding with someone very different than Cole抯 goofy sidekick? It抯 like there抯 another side to this silly, almost boyish best friend.
He licks his lips and continues.
揕ook, I just meant there抯 a silver lining to her losing the damn thing I don抰 think you抮e seeing. Have you ever thought that maybe she doesn抰 need to think about her dead mom every day? Does she really need such a morbid trinket swinging from her neck? The funeral was ten years ago.?
揊uneral??Now, I抦 really confused. 揃ut Aster only wore it when she was alive, right? I thought it was the last gift Cole ever gave her. I guess I just don抰 see the harm in棓
揝hut it,?he growls, his eyes flicking over at me and then back at the mess outside. 揝orry. That was rude. It抯 just a goddamned mess out here and I抦 trying to focus. Give me a few.?
Holy crap.
Is it really just the storm and traffic stressing him out?
That appeasing smile he always wears is gone, and there抯 a hard edge to his words now. Very strange, but maybe he抯 had a rotten day, too.
揙kay.?I try to keep my voice even.
For the next few minutes, we抮e quiet as we turn onto the highway. Things are moving slightly faster, but it抯 still like riding in a hovercraft.
His eyes narrow when he looks at me again. 揝orry about that, again. Me and my big mouth. Guess I抦 just a little overprotective when it comes to Dessy and all that shit. I抳e been hoping they抮e finally moving on, is all.?
Okayyy.
So, apparently, we抮e not dropping it.
揑抦 just surprised. Back in Hawaii you seemed happy that she found the turtle necklace.?
揑t was Aster抯 last memory. I had to respect that. Plus, with how Dess behaved on the rest of the trip, I figured she could handle it. But I have to be honest with you, E桰 was goddamned glad to see it go. Way more than finding it. In my opinion, if you care about her, you抣l hang on to that thing a while longer. Maybe you抣l give it to her someday years from now, or maybe you won抰. Right now, not only is it a symbol of her dead mom, it抯 also a reminder she was attacked.?He抯 quiet for a minute, his face set like stone.
I frown. I hadn抰 thought about it like that.
Maybe he has a point?
The rain picks up again, though, pelting the windshield and dragging us to a complete stop.
I decide he抯 making some sense, even if he seems weirdly pissed about it. I抦 just not convinced he抯 right.
揝orry if I upset you,?I say, stuffing the necklace back in my purse. 揑抦 really not trying to rub salt in any old wounds. I just...I care about her, too. I want her to be happy.?
揥hat do you have to be sorry for??he asks.
Red and blue flashes spin up ahead through the gloom. Police lights.
Awesome, more traffic.
Good thing my plane doesn抰 leave for two hours.
揑 think I抳e just been on edge since Destiny got mugged that day,?I tell him. 揑抦 in constant Mama Bear mode梖unny, because I抳e never thought of myself like that.?
I try to brush it off as that. I don抰 dare mention stupid Cole and his stupid emotional roller coaster stressing me out.
Slowly, we creep by the accident.
It抯 a newer car that slid off the road into a ditch. Small crowds of people are milling around in the rain, watching a stretcher being loaded into the back of an ambulance. We both eyeball it as we drive past, our faces set.
I抦 going to need a good rom-com or something on the plane after talking about death and potentially seeing it, too.
Troy抯 appeasing smile returns條ike the grim scene makes him lighten up梐nd he nods. 揟hat抯 what makes you bowing out even sadder. Dessy needs somebody to be protective of her. Someone with a lighter touch than her bear of an old man.?