And there she was. She wore a grey hoodie, pulled low over her face, along with tiny black shorts and white tennis shoes. No socks.
My porch was covered to keep out the rain. Still, there she stood, dripping wet.
She'dwalkedhere?
Shit.
This was my fault.
I wanted to say something. But the words didn't come, because just then, she looked up. I swallowed. Those eyes.
I wanted to get lost in them.
Iwaslost in them.
My breath caught.
Chloe.
Chapter 11
She stared up at me, and the years faded away. Her eyes lit with something. I didn't know what. Recognition? Or something else?
I wanted to drag her into the house, dry her off, and make her tell me everything. Who was she? Where had she been all this time? Was she seeing anyone?
I stopped myself just in time. Two girls were already here. No decent girl would like to be the third. So against every urge, I waited, letting Chloe speak first.
Tell me that you know me. Tell me that you remember. Tell me that you looked for me, too.
With a nervous smile, she finally said, "I'm looking for my dog. Uh, Chucky. A little terrier?"
I froze.
Shedidn'tknow me. Even now.
Looking down at her, my mind went a million miles a minute. Back then, I had no tattoos, only the fresh cigarette burns that I'd since covered with ink. I had no money, just the raw desperation to keep my family safe. I had no future, just the dangerous prospect of getting through each day.
Back then, I had nothing to offer a girl like this.
But now, I did.
And just like that, I had a Plan B. I'd start fresh and take it from there. Forget the bleeding guy on the sidewalk. I wasn't him anymore. I was someone new.
It was true that she knew my reputation. And yeah, most of it was bad. But she hadn't seen the other side.
I could show her.
And someday, when she finally put two and two together, we'd laugh about it. And if shenevermade the connection? I paused. Well, then, someday, I'd tell her. But only after she was mine for good.
But for now, I'd have to play it smooth, pretend she's just another girl.
Even if she wasn't.
I smiled down at her. "Chucky? Like the possessed doll?"
Her forehead wrinkled. "Huh?"
"It's a movie. A bunch of them, actually."
