As he approaches, I watch him with a knot in my brow. “What are you doing?”

“Walking with you.” Standing next to me, he’s at least a foot taller...and wider. It feels like he takes up most of the sidewalk, which is a total exaggeration, but I dwarf in comparison. For some reason, I like being in his shadow, like it protects me.

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“I don’t need an invitation,” he answers coolly.

“Are you still so hung up on ‘figuring me out?’” I ask, gesturing with my hands and mocking him a little. “Is it so hard to believe that I’m just a regular girl who came from a shitty background and wants a fresh start?”

“No. That’s not hard to believe at all.” He glances down at me. “But that’s not your story.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I spent my entire life running, living an unsettled life and desperate for the next thing to keep me safe—and I see that in you.”

I swallow down the lump in my throat. Whenever Murph talks, I feel like he’s just on the verge of being real, being open, but this wall he’s put up between us is really a thick piece of glass that allows him to see out without anyone seeing in.

“Is that so?” The light behind him is blinding, but it brings out the flecks of gray in his beard and in the spots above his ears. He’s really the last person you’d expect to see going for a stroll down this quiet suburban neighborhood.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

A few moments pass without discussion until I finally volley his suspicion back to him. “Well, what about you? How do I know you’re not out to take Hazel for all she’s worth? I’ve been with her for a year; she’s very important to me. And I’ve never heard her even talk about you.” Which is a lie, but I like torturing him with it. She does have pictures of two young men around her house, and she does share stories of them, but I never pictured them to be like Murph.

He glares down at me, one eyebrow cocked with attitude. “I’ve known Hazel for fifteen years. She doesn’t talk about me because she’s got more important things to talk about.”

“How many were there?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.

“Just me and Ryder.”

“And where is he now?”

“Ryder got his share of the fortune and took off to spend it. Last I heard he was broke in Vegas trying to win it all back.”

I nod along.

“You’re her favorite though, aren’t you?” I say with a wink.

“Naturally.” I spot a hint of a smirk hidden under that thick beard, and it gives me confidence as we finish our walk in silence.

When we get back, the house is still quiet. It’s almost dinnertime, but Ruby is standing in the kitchen putting away dishes.

“She ate already and the food is staying warm in the oven if you’re hungry.”