“I’ll try to keep my mouth shut.” She laughed to herself, flirting with him. If I could see that, he definitely could. And in front of me? How did she know I wasn’t his girlfriend? I guess she must know him well enough to not assume that. The thought rubbed at me, making my lungs burn. I would do anything to be back in the quiet comfort of home.

Neither of them said bye, but she walked away after what felt like an hour.

“Do you know her?” Kael asked me. I blinked out of my unnecessary jealousy and shook my head.

“I don’t think so.”

“Hmm,” he said under his breath.

“You do, though,” I reminded him. If he could ask me if I did, why couldn’t I do the same?

Of course, when I did, he gave me a simple “I do.”

It was finally our turn to load the groceries. He stopped me from lifting the gallon of milk.

“I can lift milk.” I rolled my eyes.

He looked down at my wrists. “You need those hands for work. More than I need mine. I know you’re capable, I’m trying to be a nice guy.”

I glared at him. “I was trying to be nice, too.”

“I know. I’m just fucking with you. Let me put the milk up there.” His voice was lighter than it was a moment ago, a different tone than I had ever heard come from his lips. It made my skin tingle. I looked away.

“Fine,” I teased back.

My throat was aching.

Kael managed to move around me in the small space as I went to the cashier. He knew exactly how to toe that fine line between being open and closed. The music overhead was louder; it had to be. A song from my childhood, one that my mom used to scream out the window as we drove from garage sale to garage sale on the weekends, played through the loudspeakers. With each of these memories, I began to feel more and more unsettled. Why were all my thoughts of her so fond lately? I still should be too pissed to care that she’s gone. When would my mother stop haunting me?