Darkly (Follow Me 4)

I’ll file it away in my mind along with those myriad other things I don’t like to think about.

The list seems to grow longer by the day.

“But we do,” she says. “I don’t want you to think I’m the kind of person who—”

“Skye, you did what you did. No amount of telling me what kind of person you are will change what already happened.” The words come out more harshly than I mean for them to, so I continue. “Do you think I’ve never made a bad choice? Done something I regret?”

Offhand, about twelve scenarios come to mind, including a few on that long list of things I don’t think about.

“No. I mean, I don’t know.”

“You don’t get to the top without making mistakes along the way. I learn from every mistake, and I never make the same mistake twice. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

“Yeah. I won’t do it again. I told you that already.”

“I understand mistakes. I’ve made my share.”

Call that the understatement of the world. I vow never to bring up the piece of mail she stole again.

As long as she doesn’t.

I’m hoping she’ll take my cue and never bring up Addison and me again, as well.

She nods and takes another sip of Wild Turkey.

Christopher brings the Thai food into the kitchen.

“Sasha’s up with Annika,” he tells me. “She enjoyed the doggie place.”

“Thanks, Christopher. You’re off the clock now. Go have some fun.”

“I think I’ll just go up to my room and binge watch some TV,” he says, “so I’m here if you need me.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

He heads out of the kitchen, while I pull dishes and utensils out of cupboards and drawers. I dish out a plate of food and hand it to Skye.

“Thanks,” she murmurs. She sits on one of the barstools at the granite island and winces slightly.

“Sore?” I ask, warming. She’d better be sore.

“No. Just a little tender.” She takes a bite of the spicy curry.

Again, silence descends.

“Something interesting happened at work today,” she finally says.

“Oh? What’s that?”

“Strangest thing,” she says after swallowing a bite of curry. “The social marketing VP for Susanne Cosmetics called the office today. Addie does a lot of Instagram posts for Susanne, so naturally I thought that’s who the call was for. I put it right through.”

“And…?”

“Turns out she wanted to talk to me.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Oh? What about?”

“Get this.” She takes a sip of Wild Turkey. “Remember that post you tagged me in at the MADD Gala?”