Libby spun around and nearly lost her balance.
Her eyes widened when she saw Annie’s classmate, Marissa Pope, leaning against her bicycle. “Hi, Marissa. I don’t know if you remember me.”
Marissa tilted her head to the side and threw her blond hair over her shoulders. “You’re Annie’s foster mom.”
Libby hurried away from the warehouse and held her hands on either side of her. “Yes, that’s right. It’s good to see you. How are you? How are your parents?”
Marissa blinked. “They’re fine. Why are you out here by yourself?”
“I was just…just going for a walk,” Libby said, stuttering over the last word. “But I was headed back anyway. I was going to stop by Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium to pick up some ice cream for Annie…would you like to come?”
Marissa shifted from one foot to the other. “I should probably go home. Thanks, though, Mrs. Baker.”
Before Libby could say anything else, Marissa rode off, kicking up dust and gravel as she did. She stared after her with her heart in her throat and prayed Marissa wouldn’t think too much of it. During the walk back home, she kept checking her phone, and each time it refreshed, showing Annie’s red dot at home, Libby breathed a sigh of relief.
For now, she was in the clear.
At least until she figured out what Annie’s friend was into, and then, all hell was going to break loose.
Outside their apartment building, Libby stopped to glance up at their window, where Annie’s shadowy silhouette appeared. She exhaled and used her key to unlock the front door. On the third-floor landing, Libby was squinting and rifling through her keys when her front door burst open, and Annie appeared in the doorway.
Libby nearly dropped her keys in surprise. “Oh, Annie, sweetheart. You scared me.”
Annie crossed her arms over her chest. “Who else would it be?”
Libby forced a smile to her lips and brushed past her. “No one. I just wasn’t expecting you to open the door.”
Annie slammed the door shut and spun around to face her. “Where were you anyway? I stopped by the clinic, but it was closed.”
“We got out early.” Libby kicked off her shoes and left her purse on the kitchen counter. She poured herself a glass of iced tea and eyed Annie over the rim. “I thought I’d walk around for a bit before I came home.”
Annie stopped on the other side of the counter and stared at her. “Why were you in my room?”
Libby’s heart stopped. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I wasn’t—”
Annie held a hand up, and her expression tightened. “Please don’t lie to me. I know you were in my room. I could smell your perfume.”
Libby gripped the counter and exhaled. “Look, I know I shouldn’t have gone in there, but you won’t talk to me. You don’t tell me where you go after school, and you come home smelling weird and with circles under your eyes. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
Annie’s expression darkened further. “And you thought the way to do that was by invading my privacy?”
Libby released the counter and threw her hands in the air. “What was I supposed to do? You won’t tell me a thing, Annie. And I’m…I’m your guardian, and it’s my job to look out for you and make sure you’re okay—”
“I didn’t know that included knowing where I was twenty-four seven,” Annie muttered darkly. “What else have you been doing? Besides telling my teachers to keep an eye on me.”
Libby winced and stepped out from behind the counter. “Annie, sweetheart, please. I’m just worried. If you would just talk to me—”
Annie took a step back. “You’re not my mom. Stop acting like you are. You’re just some lady who felt sorry for me, and they made you take me in, but Iknowyou don’t want me here.”
Libby felt like she’d been punched in the gut.
This wasn’t how she wanted things to unfold, and it wasn’t what she wanted Annie to feel.
Her heart broke at the pain in Annie’s words—the anger and longing.
Libby made herself take a deep breath before responding. “Annie, no. No, that’s not true. I want you here. Of course, I want you here.”
Annie shook her head and shoved her phone into her pocket. “You know what? I don’t have to listen to this.”
