“Kent? Yes, of course, I am.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes. Why do you keep asking? I want to be with Kent. I love him.”
Oh shit. Oh fuck. Had she just blurted that out? There was a moment of silence.
“Enough,” Kent barked. “You’ve talked to her. We have a deal?”
“Yes, we do.” Mr. Markovich stared at her strangely. “Goodbye, Abby.”
“Bye. Bye, Gray.”
She wasn’t offended when he didn’t say goodbye in return.
“Bain, get her in the truck.” Bain walked her back and helped her in the back, doing up her seat belt for her. Kent said something to him as he approached and Bain climbed in the other truck. Kent climbed in and started his truck, pulling out. She turned to see Mr. Markovich watching them as they pulled away. He’d seemed different tonight. Slightly sad.
Okay, now she felt silly sitting in the back seat while he was in the front.
“Can I move over to the front?” she asked.
“No,” Kent said.
There was some tension that she didn’t know the source of. “Are you mad at me for getting out of the truck?”
“Of course not, I’m the one who told Bain to bring you out.”
So it wasn’t that.
“You’re still mad at me for coming with you?”
“Did you mean what you said back there?” he asked, pulling to the side of the road. He put the truck into park and then turned to stare at her intently. “That you love me?”
She bit her lip. “Did that make you angry?”
“Did you mean it?”
“Yes,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Good,” he said before putting the truck back into drive and heading down the road.
Good? That was it, good?
Okay, now she was starting to get a bit mad. S
he crossed her arms over her chest.
“Did you know he wants you?” Kent asked suddenly.
“Who?”
“Markovich. He wants you.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Wants her? What did he mean?
“He did. It’s why he wanted to see you. Any sign you weren’t happy and I think he would have tried to take you from me.”
“He didn’t want me. He was taking money from me each week for a debt that wasn’t even mine! He’s a bad guy.”