Page 110 of Criminally Yours

“I’m not,” Millie confessed. “Strike’s my bodyguard, but…”

Merryn cuddled her. “You’re in love. I can tell when someone is in love.”

Millie blushed. “I think I am. But don’t tell him. I haven’t said anything.”

“Your secret is safe,” Joyce replied. “He adores you.”

“He’s smitten.” Merryn chuckled.

“I’m not sure. We have a complex history, and he’s been through a lot.” She worried her thumb, but their stares were unrelenting. “And he’s hiding a part of himself from me.”

“Sometimes, it’s easier to hide yourself so you don’t have to cope with other people’s judgement,” Elsie murmured.

“Is that right?” Merryn side-eyed Elsie. “That reminds me, I need to pop to the bathroom. Come with me, Joyce.”

“But I don’t need?—"

“Come with me,” Merryn insisted, dragging her from the table.

Elsie huffed. “That was my mum’s unsubtle way of leaving us alone so we can chat, I guess because you said you’re a counsellor.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything. We can talk about books.”

Elsie said sulkily, “It’s okay. I could do with chatting to someone. I’ve broken up with my girlfriend. She wants me to travel the world with her, but I love it here. Everyone who lives here wants to get away. At college, people think I’m weird for wishing to stay, but my town is beautiful, and I can surf when I’m not working. I need to decide what I want to do.”

“I wouldn’t want to leave here, either. It’s a lovely place. Are you working part-time at your mum’s bakery while you finish your studies?”

“Yeah. My college career teacher thinks I should go to university and study English. But I don’t want that. I want to help others. As a counsellor, you help people?”

Millie nodded. “Lots of different people. Some have been through awful things, but often they find chatting helps.”

“I like that.” She twisted her lip ring. “A lotof the work around here is in tourism, which I enjoy because you never know who’s going to walk through the door, but I could be a care support worker or something. I’ve looked at training, and I’m always helping the elderly people in the town.”

“I bet your mum would love to hear about that. Were you with your girlfriend long?”

“A couple of months.” Elsie sipped her drink. “I’m not that gutted. She was nasty about my books. It’s a shame you’re here for just a week or two. I want a book buddy. I’ve dreamed of running a bookstore here. An indie romance one. It’s way too niche for a little town like this, but you can dream, right?”

Millie chuckled. “That’s why we read.”

“Exactly.”

“Did your mum and your girlfriend get on?”

Elsie gave a hollow laugh. “Mum doesn’t know I’m gay. She’s a great mum and always listening to other people’s problems, but when it comes to me, she tries to fix without listening. She just wants me happy.”

“It can be like that when the person means everything to you.”

“You’re good at listening. Those guys over there have been staring at you since you came in, and you haven’t noticed.”

Millie glanced at where Elsie pointed. Turning her head made the strap of her summer dress fall. One of the dark-haired footballers at the table nearby smirked. He looked like the kind of guy she would have chatted with on the app.

Cheers came from the dartboard, and Millie glanced at it again as a couple laughed at their friends before walking away.

“Everything okay?” Merryn asked, returning to the table with Joyce.

Elsie tied her hair in a ponytail. “Yeah, all good. Does anyone want to play darts?”

Millie worried her lip. “I’ve got to tell Strike about the man looking for me.”