SECRETS

tes when it finally flies open. Her roommate st

d something

nutes for fun." I roll my eyes and

the woman is

hoto off the side table in the living room and show it to her.

n stumbles out

ing good

iend is here." He

and pulls her int

s. Make up for the disturbance." His eyes travel the

ame time Olivia's ro

?" sh

his hands up in mock surrende

r attention back to the issue at hand.

re. You know the police already

, tied into an updo on top of her head. I always used to joke about how hot my best friend was. We took this our senior year of high school, back when we planned on goin

ds the end of the word.

face down on the tabl

hing about Olivia anyway. We mostly kept to ourselves and

is kissing h

. Breathe. I walk to the kitchen where

ll the woman, ext

e looking annoye

member my name so I'm under 'roommates Friend'. Will you p

n the middle o

ntinue. "I don't have fa

ted sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll c

y couple and the stench of morning

or too long. Tears push at my eyelids but I don't let them fall. Not yet. Not until I know Olivia's gone for good. I switch the car into reverse. I don't want to stop my investigation here but I have to go to Dirty Dawgs. I told Amelia I ne

g to hide my car from the main road. The

shing through the door in the back, into the small kitchen. It smells like the oil they use to fry up wings and floor cleanser. It's clear why as I sli

orce my politest

the team." She pulls me into a hug that takes me by surprise. I've nev

ng cherries and olives into a tray. "We don't get a lot of fancy drinkers out here. Mostly Bud Lig

ine anyone from San Antonio causing an issue I can't handle. Susan goes over the basics. Checking I.D. Keeping the bar top cl

Axel w

ly telling me to run. Axel hasn't changed a bit. A white guy with brown floppy hair, a mustache that makes m

twitches under his brown mustache. "Sophi

I get for you, Axel?" I pretend to wipe down the b

ur dad know you're in town?" He shakes his head. "Nah. No way he knows

Moon?" I ask. "We've g

s my wrist. "Don't you ignore me,

to stare at us. The drunk laughing and light conver

I keep my voice dangerously low. "Le

obably hoping to jos

a beer or n

n." He sits on the

want him to see the tremble in my hands. Once I'm back beh

twenty in f

ou want me to keep

u were a bitch like your mother but I never thought you'd have th

and slide his chan

u." I'm on my way to the woman at the other end of the

kes the wrinkles on her forehead deepen. I want to tell he

, I'm sorry. I swear I didn't start

ut I don't need my regulars taking off because the en

ine. I'm just the Lawin girl who ran away as soon as she

overing everything at home. I only need this job for my hotel. What's the worst that ca

, hoping Olivia doesn't try to cut me off on my way to the car but something stops me dead

ard the sound. My brain is on overdrive trying to talk myself out of investigating the noise. But what if it's Olivia . What if she broke out of her

ud even though there's no

next to the dumpster. Blood drips down he

next to her and

matter how hard I shake