He nods. “Thanks for letting me crash at your place.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
“Oh wait,” he says. “If you get on with Stormy’s team, don’t mess with those guys. They take their pranks to a whole other level. Trust me, you don’t want to open that door.”
I laugh. “Thanks for the advice.” I grab my coffee and make my way back to my car. Then I spend the day doing what I’ve done the last few days: following Lucy from a distance.
There has been no sign of Vince, but there have been several unfortunate sightings of Ted Barton; he and Lucy have had lunch together every day. He’s certainly been there for her. Enough so that I decide I need to check up on him.
* * *
The moment Thundertakes over for me at the end of the day, I drive to the other side of town. A quick database search gave me Ted’s address, and I pull up to a two-story, well-manicured home.
Nothing surprising. Ted seems meticulous about appearances based on his clothing and hair choices.
There’s no car in the driveway. It could be in the garage, but there are also no lights on in the house. I park just down the street and wait.
I don’t have to wait too long. About thirty minutes later, a car pulls into the driveway. It’s dark, but I see Ted get out the driver’s side and go to the passenger side, where he helps a woman get out. While I can see the woman is wearing a tight, low-cut dress, I can’t see her face because it’s blocked by Ted’s as they kiss up against the door of the car.
This is not an innocent kiss, and Ted is not pulling away. Instead, Ted presses her against the car, and the two of them are almost obscene in the middle of what appears to be a family neighborhood. Finally, they break apart, and he leads her into his house.
Move your fat head Ted so I can see her face.No luck. They go inside and I’m left stewing. Lucy dismissed my concerns about Ted being a boyfriend by telling me he would be more into me than her. Does she believe that? Or was she simply trying to appease my insecurity?
I pull away from the curb and drive back to her place. I’m halfway to her door when Thunder comes out of nowhere and stops me.
“What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” he growls.
I run my hand through my hair. “Sorry, I have to talk to Lucy.”
“She called you?”
“No. But I have to—”
“You said to stop you if you tried this. You’re supposed to be giving her space. Remember?” Thunder steps between me and her building.
I sigh. “I know. But I just learned something that I have to tell her. It can’t wait.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“I am.”
Thunder shakes his head. “All right. I’ll be in the car. If you end up staying here, give me a heads up, and I’ll take off.”
As much as I would love to stay here, I doubt very much that will happen. I knock on her door and wait.
“Who’s there?” she asks hesitantly.
I smile. At least she didn’t just open the door. That makes me feel a little better about her situation.
“Cody,” I reply.
She sighs. “Why are you here?”
“Please, Luce, there’s something you need to know. It will just take a minute.”
I hear the deadbolt release, and the door opens, framing a glaring Lucy. Yep, she’s still angry. My hands itch to reach out and pull her to me. I miss everything about her.
“You have five minutes,” she says, stepping aside so I can enter.
