The way he hesitates before finishing his sentence tells me everything I need to know. “Ryan,” I blurt.
I can tell by the look on his face that I’m right. He sighs. “You can’t say anything to Tina.”
“He’s planning to propose? When?”
“He hasn’t decided when yet. He just asked me to hold onto the ring so that she doesn’t find it.”
“And you decided to keep that thing in your car? It had to cost at least ten grand.”
“More than that. He just bought it today. I’ll keep it locked up safely at home.”
For a moment, I’m amazed at how both Ryan and Tina just decided today that they want to propose to each other. But then I think about what that means. If Ryan proposes first, then Tina doesn’t get to see her dream of following in her mother’s footsteps come to life. I have to make sure that Tina proposes first without giving away Ryan’s secret. I also can’t tell Oliver what Tina’s plan is, because I don’t know if I can trust him to keep a secret from Ryan.
“You look like you’re in shock,” Oliver says.
“I am, a little bit. This is exciting. Tina is going to be so… surprised.”
“Seriously. Don’t tell her. Ryan will kick my ass.”
“I won’t.”
Needing to be alone with my thoughts, I hop out of the truck and let myself into my apartment. I drop myself onto the couch—dark blue, not white leather like Tina’s—and think about the rollercoaster that was today. As the quiet of my apartment settles in around me, I find myself wishing I had a roommate. I turn on the TV just to make this place feel a little less lonely. I slip my hand into my back pocket, but I don’t feel the piece of paper that I’m looking for. I sit up and reach into my other pocket. It’s empty.
Shit. I lost the check.
ChapterThree
The Principles of Tax Evasion
I’m trying to think of where it might have fallen out of my pocket. The idea that I lost the check Tina gave me has kept me up most of the night, and it’s still bugging me this morning. If it happened at Tina’s house, it will be easy enough to get it back. If Ryan found it, he might wonder why she gave me such a big check. I chew on my lip. I hope my carelessness doesn’t cause too big of a rift. But maybe I didn’t even leave it there.
I probably dropped it outside while I was moving my body in all sorts of weird ways just to try to stay warm. If that’s the case, then some stranger probably found it by now, but unless they have a fake ID with my name, it will be a little hard for them to cash it. Still, I don’t like the idea of Tina’s home address and bank account number floating around out there for anyone to pick up and see. Especially when the dollar figure on the check suggests she has a lot of money.
There’s also the possibility that it fell out in Oliver’s truck. This is the least likely scenario, because all I did was sit down. I think I would have noticed the check on his seat when he dropped me off last night. If he does have it, I hope he’ll give it back to Tina, because I really don’t want to see him if I can avoid it.
There’s a rough knock on my front door. I frown. I’m expecting Tina, but she doesn’t normally knock. Tina always lets herself inside, or if she’s picking me up—like she is today—she’ll text me from her car.
I check the time on my phone. If it’s Tina, she’s early. This is how I know it isn’t her. Tina is never early.
I head to the door and look through the peephole. Then I step back, take a deep breath, and brace myself. I open the door. Before I can ask Oliver why he’s here, he holds up the missing check. Of course he has it. I’m torn between being happy to see him and wishing the check had been lost forever. I reach for it, but he raises it away from me.
“You’re not funny. Give me the check.”
“Aren’t you going to thank me for returning it?”
“You haven’t returned it. You’re just taunting me with it.”
He holds the check in front of his face. “This is a lot of money.”
The check is low enough now that I could reach it, but I know he’ll just pull it away again. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. “Are you jealous?”
“A little bit. This is more than I make in a year.”
I frown. I thought that Oliver was an app developer like Tina and Ryan. Maybe he’s not as good at his job as they are. I make a mental note to find a way to use this against him.
“Why is Tina giving you this much money?” he asks.
I want to tell him that it’s none of his business, but I also don’t want him to think I’m taking handouts. “She’s notgivingme the money. She’s paying me for a service.”
