Page 14 of Hard Evidence
“Better than looking unhinged.”
“Do we even have Band-Aids?”
“Sure we do.”Amie’s expression softened.“Breakups are hard.And it’s so easy to get distracted by questioning yourself and dwelling on every mistake.Believe me, I know.”
“Do you think I made a mistake?”
“With Melanie?”
“Breaking up with her.”
Amie blew out a breath.Yes, she was an employee, but they’d known each other for years, and Justin trusted her judgment.
“Honestly?No.She seemed friendly at first, but after the modelling thing took off, she changed.”
“She definitely got more confident.”
“It was more than that.She started thinking she was better than everyone else.”Amie shook her head.“Forget I said that.”
“No, it needed saying.I guess it was easier to bury my head in the sand than admit I have the worst taste in women.”
“Maybe lay off the dating for a few months?Honestly, it’s a minefield.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Yes, but you also got distracted after Rebecca cheated on you, remember?Although you didn’t manage to shave off anything important that time.”
He’d just drunk too much and put on twenty pounds before Secret Santa gifted him a gym membership at the office Christmas party.He never did find out who’d been responsible, but it had given him the kick up the ass he needed.
“Yeah, I remember.Okay, no more dating for a while.”
“Phew.And no more Mr.Nice Guy.You’re such a pushover.”
“I’ll remember that the next time you ask for a raise.”
“I’ve never had to ask for a raise.You just pay me more every year because I’m amazing at my job.”
That was true.
“Fine, no more Mr.Nice Guy,” he grumbled.“Get me a cookie.”
Amie burst out laughing.“Sure, and a Band-Aid too.Do I have the best ideas, or what?”
Justin rolled his eyes and finally smiled.“Or what.”
CHAPTER8
JESSALYN
By the time we reached Northern Virginia, the leak from the radiator had turned into more of a waterfall.The last time I’d stopped for gas—and more coolant—I’d returned from the bathroom to find a lake spreading beneath the car.We weren’t going to get much farther.
In Maryland, a mechanic had quoted over a thousand bucks to fix the problem, which was most of the money I had left.When I balked at the price, he’d stared at my breasts and suggested that maybe we could work out an alternative method of payment, and I decided I’d rather walk to North Carolina than accept his offer.And it might come to that.I couldn’t afford the repairs, not if I wanted to eat as well.Shiro’s food wouldn’t last forever either.In Pennsylvania, Rufus’s wife had petted him and sent us on our way with a bag of treats and a bunch of kibble samples, but he was a big dog with the stomach to match.I needed to earn some money, and fast.
I had no résumé, no reliable vehicle, and no references.All I had was a phone, a hungry dog to feed, and desperation.And Craigslist.I’d never used the site before, but before she moved, Saylor had bought and sold plenty of stuff on there, plus she used the jobs listings to pick up extra part-time work when money was tight.Oh, and her former neighbours had answered a Craigslist ad to appear onLove Lab, a reality show to find America’s most perfect couple.Now they were getting divorced.Lucky them.
We ended up in another grocery store parking lot, busy enough that I felt safe, quiet enough that I didn’t have to worry about nosy shoppers judging me for living in my car.I tried to keep it tidy, but between the blankets in the passenger seat and the bottles of water stacked in the footwell, I knew what they’d think.Thank goodness for the tinted windows in the back.Sharing the seat with Shiro was a tight squeeze, but he helped to keep me warm, and his presence was comforting, although I felt guilty for using him as an emotional crutch in a less-than-ideal situation.
“One day, I’ll be able to give you the life you deserve,” I promised.He just licked my cheek in response.
