“Yeah. You look pretty in it.” He grimaced. “That’s not saying you don’t look pretty in other things… I’m going to shut up now.”

I laughed. “I knew what you meant.”

“Okay, good,” he muttered. “Ciana would have already punched me.”

15

Nova

After my little adventure while shopping, on top of traveling all day, I was exhausted. But I couldn’t sleep.

At the bus station, Cali had been able to get a burner phone from a tech vending machine with the card I gave her and called to let me know when she would be getting to Oakland. Once I had her details, I sent a text to Jack, knowing he would make sure my friend got to his mother’s shelter safely. He took his job seriously, and even though he came across as grumpy, he was really one of the most kindhearted men I’d ever met. That didn’t mean he was a pushover, though. His kind heart wouldn’t stop him from putting a bullet in someone he thought no longer deserved to breathe.

Relieved that Cali was going to be okay, I took a long hot shower and then pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and one of Ryan’s old T-shirts I’d stolen on one of my past summer visits. Leaving my hair to air-dry, I grabbed my bottle of lotion and walked across the hall to Ryan’s room.

It was late, and Ryan’s light was off. Deciding I didn’t need the lotion after all, I dropped it in the chair and crawled into bed beside him. As soon as I touched him, getting ready to snuggle up against him as I always did, I felt him jerk. I flinched at his reaction. He’d never done that when I’d touched him. Plenty of times when adult women he wasn’t comfortable with entered the room, but never me.

The bedside lamp switched on, casting a soft glow over the bed. “What’s wrong?” I asked, wondering if maybe he’d gotten injured. Concerned, I reached for the hem of his T-shirt, trying to tug it up so I could see where I’d touched him. “Where does it hurt? Let me see.”

He pulled the material from my fingers and jerked it back into place. “Nova.” My name came out as a growl, his jaw clenching and unclenching as if he were biting back words. “We can’t do this anymore. You’re…” He waved his hand at me and gulped. Something flared in his brown eyes that made my heart race. But then he blinked, and it was gone, as if it hadn’t really been there, and my heart dropped into my stomach. “It’s just not right. We’re too old for this stuff now.”

“Wh-what isn’t right about it?” I whispered. “We’ve slept in the same bed since I was three. You can’t sleep without me, and I can’t sleep without you.”

“It was fine when we were younger, but things are different now, Nova.” His eyes went to me then quickly averted to something else. “You’re not a little girl anymore. You’re…you. And if people found you in bed with me, they would think we’re….” He scrubbed both hands over his face in frustration.