He was still standing in the open doorway. Outside, the early December morning was cold and blustery – not quite freezing, but pretty darn close. Joel, like an idiot, wasn't wearing a jacket or even a shirt with long sleeves.
Behind me, I could feel the heat pouring out of Cassie's shop. I was wasting not only time, but money too – money that wasn't even my own, at least when it came to Cassie's heat bill.
Obviously, Joel and I couldn’t argue in the doorway forever. Besides – I felt my mouth tighten – he was in a big, stupid hurry. And what was he doing with our limited time? He was waiting for the answer to his incredibly dumb question. Did I think he didn't want to call?
"Okay," I said. "You want an honest answer? Yes, that's exactly what I think, because if youwantedto call, you would've." Trying hard not to look pathetic, I took a deep breath and continued. "And look, it's not like I've been sitting around waiting or anything, but you were the one who told me that Ihadto answer the phone, so I'm just saying, it's pretty hard to answer a call that never comes."
When I finished, he looked at me for a long, silent moment. And then, he turned his head to look at his car.
I forced a laugh. "Oh. So my minute's up, huh?"
He looked back to me and said, "Alright, you want the truth?"
I gave another shrug. "I don't know. Do I?"
His voice was tight. "Probably not."
I stiffened. What didthatmean? I didn't want to speculate, but Ididwant to know, so I said, "Look, whatever it is, just tell me." I lifted my chin. "Or don't. I guess it's up to you."
He was quiet for another long moment. His muscles were rigid, and his eyes were hard. And then, he said something I didn't expect. "I was in jail."
