Rastor (Lawton Rastor Book 2) by Sabrina Stark Page B

truth?"
    I shrugged. "She probably forgot. Like I said, she was pretty trashed."
    "But why didn’t you call her on it?"
    "Tonight? Because I didn't care. I figured you wouldn’t either. I mean, c'mon, it's pathetic, right?"
    And it was pathetic. I recalled Brittney's cheap-ass apartment in that shitty part of town. Brittney's bedroom, with its lacy bedspread and girly-girl pillows, had been the only clean room in the whole place. As for the rest of it, it was littered with garbage, including Brittney's roommate, who, as far as I could tell, turned tricks for drug-money.
    I'd been in that apartment less than fifteen minutes, but it had made an impression.
    Chloe's hand slipped from mine, and she started walking again. I fell in beside her and asked, "What's wrong?"
    "Nothing." She kept on walking, looking not so much angry as overwhelmed.
    I could see why. It was a lot to digest. But I didn't like the fact that we were moving again. Time was running out. Up ahead, I spotted Chloe's place, maybe five minutes away. 
    It might be now or never. "Chloe?" I said.
    "Yeah?"
    "Will you give me another chance?"

For a long time, she said nothing, and her silence grew heavier with every step.
    Finally, I had to ask, "Is this your way of telling me no, that it's over?"
    Still moving, I glanced over at her. She looked lost in thought, and part of me wondered if she'd heard my question at all.
    Too soon, we were at the foot of her long driveway. She stopped and turned to face me. I stopped too and studied her face. I saw a flicker of warmth tinged with caution.
    She was thinking about it. I could tell.
    I pressed my luck. "Chloe, I do love you."
    She looked down at her feet. "I love you too. But I'm not sure it's enough."
    "It's enough for me," I said. "The first time I saw you, I just knew."
    And I had. Funny, I'd always laughed at guys who fell too hard and too fast. But with Chloe, it was impossible to do anything else. Maybe it was because of how we met.
    I'd been lying there half-dead, and she hadn't let me slip away. At the memory, I almost smiled. And now, five years later, here I was waiting for another chance.
    She turned and looked toward the horizon. "It's really late."
    I looked too. It was lighter now, almost sunrise. "No. It's early, remember?"
    She turned and gave me a sad smile. "Lawton, I'm not sure you really know me. And if I'm being really honest, that's my fault not yours. But it is what it is."
    "I do know you," I said. "At least all that matters."
    She shook her head. "No. You don't. And honestly, I probably don't know you very well either."
    Maybe. But somehow, I'd change that, even if it meant showing her things that I'd rather stay hidden. On impulse, I said, "You wanna know me? Come with me tomorrow."
    "Where?"
    "You'll see."
    She bit her lip. "Tomorrow's not good."
    "Then how about the next day?"
    "Monday?" She gave a small smile. "I'm working that day, too."
    "But you don't go in 'til late, right?"
    "Yeah. But I can't afford to be late anymore."
    I knew what she meant. Earlier tonight, she'd been at least a couple of hours late for work. My fault, not hers. "I won't make you late," I said. "I promise."
    She hesitated, looking almost tempted.
    I pressed the advantage. "C'mon. It's my last day in town this week. Say yes."
    "You're taking a trip?"
    "Not a vacation. Work. This event in Vegas." At a sudden thought, I smiled. "You wanna come?"
    She gave a playful eye-roll. "Very funny."
    "You think I'm joking?"
    I wasn't joking. This trip, I wasn't looking forward to. But with Chloe, everything would be different. It could be a fresh start for both of us.
    "I don't know what to think," she said, "but it doesn't matter. I'm working every day 'til Friday."
    "Then c'mon, say yes for Monday." I looked into her eyes. "Please?"
    Finally, I saw the hint of a real smile. "Maybe."
    "I'm taking that as a yes." I glanced toward her house. "Can I walk you to the door?"
    She shook her head. "Nah, that's alright." With a small