The Sidekick

Chapter Seven

Tera

It isn’t until I’m parked in my usual spot that the reality of what I’m doing hits me. I’m about to go back inside the place I watched my friend get shot. I suddenly feel hot and then freezing, my stomach going queasy. When I close my eyes to do some deep breaths, it helps a little. I should have done some yoga before I came here. By the time I get out of my car, I’m only shaking a little, but my eyes feel stretched wide as they roll back and forth, looking for trouble.

“Hey!”

I jump and look up as Trevor waves at me from the open window of the second story. What in the world is he doing up there? The stairs are usually blocked off, and employees aren’t allowed on the second floor. It’s an unwritten law Pat told me about. Then again, it’s his bar, and he can go wherever he wants.

“You scared the pee out of me!” I call back. By his laughter, I know he heard me.

“I’ll be down to unlock everything in a second. I should have known you’d be early.”

“Sorry,” I wince.

I’m almost an hour early because I wanted to leave my apartment so badly. I accidentally left my key to the bar and my coffee on the kitchen counter because I was in such a rush to escape. I need to put it on my key ring. I’ve had it for three months now.

He shakes his head and pulls his upper body back inside, closing the window. I shuffle on my feet as I wait for the main door to open. It looks like it might snow, and I’m regretting the slip-on shoes I wore today. They’re too thin to keep my feet warm. I’ll just have to suck it up until payday.

I’m going to have to ask the awkward Hey, are we going to be paid for the days you were closed question. I hate being that person. I hate not being able to pay my bills more, though.

Joe’s car isn’t here, and I wonder if it was towed. Will I have to pay to get it back for him? Not that he would need it. Why are my thoughts so morbid suddenly?

The lock clicking behind me is loud in the quiet, making me jump again.

Trevor notices and frowns slightly. I glare at him without any heat as he steps outside. He doesn’t look cold in his boots and a short-sleeved shirt. It isn’t fair. Where is his coat?

“Hey,” he breathes out with a soft smile. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” I give him a shaky smile back.

No matter what, I’m stuck on him and don’t want to unstick any time soon. The pathetic real reason that I couldn’t block his number. The guy is hot and well-built. He could have any woman he wants. I just want to throw my arms around him and hold on forever. Sadly, he’s main character material, and I’m a sidekick. It would never work.

“I know this is going to be hard. I’m proud of you for coming out.” His hands rest on my shoulders, warming me up on the outside while I burst into fireworks on the inside at the thought of making him proud. I’m so unwell.

“Max and I have been cleaning so that it won’t be such a shock, but I wanted to make sure that you knew we would be here with you every step of the way.”

This man is too perfect to be real. Totally a main character, dang it.

“Ok,” I sigh, thinking more about my sad lady bits than what I’m about to do.

He ushers me inside and locks the door behind us again.

I can tell that an effort has been made to clean. All of the tables are separated into usable and trashed piles, along with the chairs, and there’s the awful stench of bleach. My feet stick to the floor as I stare at where Joe died and take a ragged breath.

I can’t jerk my gaze away from the puddle of liquid there, imagining it’s blood, which is dumb. I can smell the bleach. No way did they clean up all the tables and didn’t hit the floor with cleaner. I just need to snap out of it is all.

“Hey.”

His hands drop to my shoulders again, turning me towards him as he stoops to look into my eyes. “You weren’t ready. Do you need to go home, babygirl? We can get the place fixed up on our own.”

I shake my head and blink.

“I can’t do that. You called me for help,” the protest is weak at best.

“You can,” he assures me with a grim tone. “I should never have asked this of you.”

My heart sinks at the thought that he’s disappointed in me. Why does his dismissal hurt so much more than anyone else’s?

“If I can’t do this, how will I work here?”

The words are spoken without thought, and my eyes widen at the realization. What if I can’t ever walk through these doors without seeing Joe’s body on the floor? What then? I’ve been at this job for a little over two years now. I’m comfortable and settled. Or I was.

“You didn’t unblock my number,” Max says from behind me, jerking me back to the present.

“Not now,” Trevor glares over my head at the busboy.

“I thought it was funny,” I try to apologize, but the words get stuck in my throat as the lights glimmer over the puddle.

“Well, laugh it up,” Max grips my bicep and swings me around to face him. “Give me your phone.”

I automatically follow the demand and reach into my purse to hand it to him limply. I watch as he unblocks his number, edits the contact to include his name, and saves it.

“You’re stuck with us.” He jams it back in my purse and leans into my face. “Deal with it.”

I manage a nod as my eyes drift back to the puddle.

“Max,” Trevor’s voice takes on that strange dark tone.

Max ignores it and slings an arm over my shoulders, “Let’s get to it. I know you aren’t lazy like a lot of those bitches.”

“Max!” I snap out of it at the shock of his words and smack his stomach in censure. “You can’t just call people names because you’re feeling bad. You need to vent more and relieve some of that pressure in a positive way.”

“You should vent more. Come on, give us a cuss word. You’ll understand the positivity of it if you try. You can do it,” he coaxes, grinning at me while I glare. He’s angling his body as we walk to keep me from seeing the puddle, and I can’t say a single mean thing to him at the moment.

I settle on a disgruntled, “Ladies don’t curse.”

Trevor huffs a laugh with a muttered, “Shoulda’ known.”

“No? Maybe some coffee will pep you up, then,” Max taunts me further and drags me towards the back, where the stairs lead to the second floor.

“I can’t go up there,” I dig my heels in, determined now. He’s being pushy, and I’ve recently decided this behavior is unacceptable. Even if it starts as sweet and sheltering, it doesn’t necessarily end that way.

“Why not?” Trevor asks, sounding bewildered.

“Is it haunted?” Max whispers into my ear, and I give him my sternest glare. It’s my best imitation of my mom when I did something that made her mad. It has zero effect on him. Maybe I’m not doing it right. It does feel unnatural on my face.

“Employees aren’t allowed up there,” I answer him in a huff. “There’s a perfectly good coffee pot down here.”

“They aren’t?” He looks at Trevor with mockingly wide, shocked eyes.

“Knock it off,” Trevor smirks. “We live up there, it’s fine.”

“What?” I ask in surprise, although it makes sense. They always appear out of thin air when it’s time for their shifts or if there’s trouble. Now I know why. It isn’t a superpower at all.

“You didn’t know?” They both look a little concerned about my mental faculties.

“Sal is right. I’m oblivious to the real world,” I rub a hand over my face, exhausted with myself. No wonder no one likes me.

“You’re the only waitress that hasn’t snuck up there trying to get laid,” Max informs me gravely.

“Yeah, right,” I roll my eyes as I shrug off his arm and firmly march to the coffee pot in the break room.

I’m not surprised that the ladies like him. He’s that grumpy, brooding love interest who barely speaks and is mysterious. The fact that he’s proven he can actually talk cements it. He had me hooked before he started speaking to me, but the ego of this guy, thinking I’m some lap dog to trot upstairs for a good time. Better safe than sorry, I’m staying down here.

“You had no idea we lived upstairs?” Trevor asks suspiciously.

“No,” I start getting the pot ready for a brew, suddenly needing it more than ever. All the embarrassing things I did, thinking my boss was off the premises for the night, come back to haunt me, and I feel heat fill my cheeks. Surely, he would have said something if he knew. Here’s hoping he’s just as oblivious as I am.

“Is that why you’ve never been up for a visit?” Max asks and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

The thought sinks in, and I flounder. “You guys are seriously telling me that women just wander up there and lie in wait for you like hungry cougars?”

They both share a surprised look before breaking into laughter.

The waitresses talk about them both like they’re angels fallen from heaven. I”m sure Max rose from hell, so I know that analogy is wrong. And all of them have slept with them? One or both? What would it be like to have that kind of guts? Just demand what I want and forget the consequences?

I don’t want to be jealous, but I am. I’m not a prude, but hello, revolving door of hot ladies. They’re living their best life. Is that why all the other waitresses here are so gorgeous? How the heck did I get hired again?

“What are you thinking?” Trevor asks with a grin as I stand frozen, holding the coffee grounds. He props his hip on the table in the center of the room while he waits for my answer. He seems excited to discover my mind”s mysteries for some reason.

“Just that you guys are living a fantasy life up there, and I had no idea,” I shake my head in wonder.

“A fantasy life?” Max asks with a surprised laugh.

“A nonstop parade of willing ladies?” I look at him with both eyebrows raised. “Lots of guys would kill to be in your position.”

“She never says what I expect,” Trevor smiles, and Max returns it with his own grin like they have a secret and aren’t going to let me in on it.

A knock on the door interrupts whatever Max was about to add, and I return to the coffee.

“We’ll be right back,” Trevor says as they walk away.

I’m left stewing in my thoughts. To be honest, a lot of them are uncharitable and jealousy-fueled, which embarrasses me. They’re both handsome and charming, Trevor more than surly Max. They could have anyone they want. I never got an invite upstairs. I probably never will, either. Unless it’s for coffee, apparently. Sometimes being a sidekick sucks.

I ignore the hush of voices outside the room as I fix myself a cup. It’s probably Diana and Sal, maybe Pat or Eileen. They’re the only ones I would expect to come in for this type of work. All the rest are a little more lazy and unreliable. I hate that I immediately try to insert the word Max used in my thoughts and have to brush it away. I think my mother has rolled over in her grave enough already. I don’t need help making the guilt worse.

When I step back into the main room, braced for a slew of horrifying memories, I’m halted by the present instead of the past.

Andi is here with every single person in her entourage. Boyfriends and bodyguards are all present and accounted for. Along with beautiful Diana and lovely Pat, both drooling at the sight of all the new men gathered together, looking grumpy. This smells like a setup.

“You want them gone, just say the word,” Max says from beside me. I was so stunned I never noticed him walk up.

“What are they doing here?” I quietly ask back without taking my eyes off the disaster that’s sure to happen. Heaven help those ladies if they try to make the moves on any of Andi’s boyfriends.

“They just showed up. I guess they’ve been waiting for you to come in so they could talk to you. Trevor told them he’d put them to work for the chance to talk to you. He has a lot of horrible things lined up for them.”

“Ok,” is all I can think to say as my shoulders slump down again. “I know we could use the help, but do you think he would mind letting me be somewhere away from them? This is hard enough without all of this on top of it.”

“Hey,” he turns to me with a frown. “This isn’t about needing help. This is about them earning the right to your friendship. I’ve watched you for a long time. You put everyone else before yourself, and that shit is going to stop right now. Tell me to kick them out.”

I gape at his angry tone in surprise. “I can’t do that. If Trevor told them to come in, he needs them!”

“Who gives a shit?” Max leans closer as he says the words, and my eyes get wider.

“He’s our boss!” I hiss back, trying to keep quiet so no one realizes we’re here.

“He’s not my boss,” Max insists, which makes no sense. He doesn’t get the whisper voice memo either because his voice is at normal volume.

“Well, he’s my boss,” I can feel my jaw slide into stubborn mode. Mom warned me about the ugly look, and I usually can stop it when I feel it coming on.

The urge to relax and fake a smile isn’t present when talking to Max. It’s oddly freeing. I can be a jerk to him. I don’t know when that happened, but I’m rolling with it.

“So what? Buck the authority or some shit.”

I try to cross my arms, but the cup of hot coffee stymies me.

“Go up the stairs,” Max’s grin turns sly as his eyes flick over to the staircase behind me.

“I’m not allowed up there, Max,” I grit my teeth, getting into his face too.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” He finally lowers his voice as he taunts me like the fallen angel I’m convinced he is.

“What am I supposed to do,” I ask mockingly. “Lay at the top of the stairs butt naked and wait for one of you to show up?”

The idea is laughable. How cold would I get before someone found me? I’d be a popsicle up there in no time.

“I could only hope,” his nose brushes against mine, and I blink in surprise.

“I wouldn’t want to trip on any other women,” I scramble to sass back through the shock, and his grin turns evil. He licks his lower lip, and my eyes drop to the motion as a blush starts on my cheeks.

“If there were any other women up there, I’d kick them down those fucking steps before you could pout about it.”

I roll my eyes as hard as I can, making a production of it. He’s stolen the words right out of me, and I have nothing to fire back with.

If women face this when they go up those stairs, I’m surprised there aren’t melted panties paving the way.

“You two look cozy,” Pat interrupts our debate with her usual sour face, and I swing towards her in surprise. She acts like she swallows lemons to stay bitter, but she’s nice underneath all the rolling eyes and snarky looks.

Thankfully, no one else has noticed that we’re over here. Trevor is laying out everyone’s marching orders, and Diana is fawning over all the guys. Isn’t she still dating Rick? Or was it Steven? She goes through them so fast I can’t keep up. Looks like she can add a few more exotic names to her list. Who names their kid Blaze? Total main character name.

“What are you two doing?” Her eyes narrow as she looks between us suspiciously.

“Have you been upstairs?” I blurt out without thought and slap a hand over my mouth as Max glares at me.

Pat’s cheeks get red as her mouth gapes and flops open and closed, eyes sliding to Max in surprise.

“I, um,” she stammers, unable to get any words out.

“That’s ok,” I rush to reassure her and stroke a hand up and down her bicep. “That was really rude of me to just ask. I’m sorry.”

She backs away from me as if I’m a disease, and I wince. My lack of filter is another no-friend example.

“Trevor is letting us know what we’re doing,” she regains her sour disposition. Still, her cheeks don’t stop turning brighter and brighter shades of red as her eyes flicker towards Max and away again.

He watches her with an unimpressed air that makes me want to smack him. When she finally turns and hurries away from us, I follow my thought and hit him in the stomach.

“What did I do?” He asks in surprise.

“You didn’t have to be a jerk to her about it,” I hiss quietly, trying to keep an eye on the other people here. Then, I flex my hand to ease the sting. “What kind of rock are you made of? Anyway, don’t be the type of guy who sleeps around and tries to shame a woman for doing the same thing. It’s disgusting.”

His eyes widen in surprise as he stares at me, mouth open and head empty, I’m sure.

“How would you like it if we slept together and I treated you like the gum on my shoe after?”

His jaw snaps shut as he begins to scowl.

“That’s what I thought,” I glare back and sip my coffee.

“We’ve never slept with her,” he grits out through his teeth quietly.

“It’s none of my business,” I say back primly. “I just expected better from you.”

“Trevor is my boyfriend.”

“Oh. Oh!” My mouth is the one to snap shut this time. This is what I get for being judgy. It’s karma, really. I deserve whatever tirade comes out of him. Then confusion rears its ugly head. “Wait, but you said-”

“That women come upstairs to get laid. I never said we did anything about it.”

My eyes widen in horror. “I’m so sorry. Please don’t be mad.”

His glare intensifies until I’m squirming, and my shoulders hunch up in defense.

“You remember when Diana came in crying, and Trevor let her stay in the office playing games all night?”

I swallow hard. I was thinking about that just the other day. Something tells me Max is about to ruin Trevor’s nice guy image.

When I don’t answer, Max continues, “She wasn’t crying over some ex like she told everyone. Trevor came upstairs after his shift the night before and found her naked, rolling around in our sheets. She wouldn’t leave on her own, and Trevor marched her scrawny ass downstairs naked before handing her the clothes she left on the floor.” The words come out disgusted, and I’m suddenly ashamed of myself.

“I’m so sorry,” I breathe and hold my coffee up in front of me to hide my face.

He puts his hand over mine and pulls the cup back down. “You had no idea, did you?”

I shake my head. I hope he can tell I’m being honest. I’m a horrible liar anyway. “I’m not tight with anyone here. I work, and I go home. I’m not into the gossip they start with because it’s too depressing. They can’t find a single good thing to talk about most of the time. They kind of avoid me because I’m annoying.”

His lips twitch down at that, but he nods. “I figured you didn’t, and you’re not annoying.”

“You guys thought that I’m like that?” I ask sadly. No wonder Max never talked to me. I can’t even be mad about it. I don’t have friends because of things I didn’t even do. There’s no winning.

“I’m not going to lie. When you first started talking to me, I blew you off because I thought you were.”

I nod even though I’m shriveling up on the inside. How embarrassing, and I didn’t even do anything!

“Then I realized you would talk to a wall and stopped taking it personally.”

That is not better. Is there a rock I can hide under?

“I just got so used to you jabbering on that it was easier to listen than talk.”

I’m ready to slink away into the shadows with shame now.

“You stopped talking to us when Andi came into the picture. You stopped being happy.” He’s back to glaring instead of reminiscing now, and it’s awkward. “Are those assholes the reason for it?”

I chew on my lower lip, trying to decide if I should say yes or keep quiet. There’s a lot to that story, and if I open my mouth, I’ll tell him the whole thing whether he wants to hear it or not.

“That’s what I thought,” he takes my silence as an answer, and the glare gets transferred onto the group in front of us. “Bunch of fucking pricks. I told Trev we shouldn’t have let you go so easily.”

Huh? I’m not a fish they caught. What is he talking about?

My confusion must show because he turns back to me, and his evil grin returns. “Want to know a secret?”

I’m not sure if I do, but he continues as if I said, ‘Yes, of course.’

“We’re bi,” his smile twists even wider as I stare at him dumbly. “All those bitches trying their best to get our attention, and not one measured up. I wonder why that is, don’t you?”

I shake my head in sheer desperation. This feels like a trap, and my foot is dangling over the edge of the abyss, just waiting for him to push me in.

“Because they aren’t you.”

Hello Abyss, my name is Tera. I get the feeling we’ll be together for a while.

I hurry away from him out of sheer self-preservation. If there was an award for pickup lines, it would go to Max. I hear him chuckling behind me as he follows me like a sadistic shadow.

He’s just messing with me, right? Of course, he is. The grump is just trying to rile me up so he can laugh at me. The thought is embarrassing and fills me with regret.

If he had pulled this stuff on me a few weeks ago, I would have fallen at his feet with happiness. But the world is not what I thought it was in my shiny, happy bubble, and I’m having trouble adjusting. There’s no way he’s being serious. I knew I blocked his number for a reason.

It isn’t until I’ve reached the group of people that I realize I am currently standing with them. Yeah, I’m off to the side like a straggler, but the last thing I want is to be approachable today. Darn you for distracting me, Max.

“The spackle and paint are set by the bar,” Trevor is in full-on lecture mode, arms crossed over his chest. It’s very apparent that he is disappointed with the group assembled today. He isn’t trying to hide it, either. I fall into my default, looking at the floor and hoping he doesn’t turn that stern face my way.

“You two,” he gestures to Ira and the always silent Shade. “You’re on bar repair duty.”

I look towards the bar and see the bullet holes scattered in the wood. I swallow hard and jerk my head around to stare directly at Trevor like he’s the most important thing in the room.

As he pairs people off, it starts feeling like he’s separating them into groups for dodge ball instead of work, and he has a vested interest in which team wins.

Felix and Blaze are on floor duty with scrub brushes that are way too small. I know we have bigger ones in the back and mops that would be better suited to the work, but when I open my mouth to point it out, Trevor’s eyes snap to mine, and he gives me a look.

It isn’t a glare, exactly. It’s more of a ‘don’t disappoint me’ intense look that steals a little of my soul with fear. The last thing I want to do is disappoint this man. It’s not even on the list of things I want to do. That’s a stupid saying. When I close my mouth with wide eyes, he returns to assigning duties.

I’m just going to stay quiet back here and wait my turn.

I feel Max step up behind me, close enough that I can feel his body heat.

Since when does grumpy Max get all cuddly? It’s not like he’s touching me, but he’s letting his presence be known as he leans closer. Is this part of his stupid game to make me uncomfortable?

It takes my focus away from Trevor for a second too long because my head snaps back around to find him looking at me with a raised brow.

Crap, did he tell me what I was doing, and I got distracted? I have what I can only assume is a panic attack. I start sweating and fidgeting like I’m under a heat lamp.

The silence around me is deafening. I’m freaking out and terrified to open my mouth. I can’t look away from his face at anyone else to see if they’re all staring at me. My paranoia says they are, and they’re laughing.

Max’s arms drop onto my shoulders, blocking out the other faces. His forearms and hands dangle in front of my face. I let out a slow breath, grateful for the dubious support.

“She’s stressed out, boss man. Give her a break.”

Trevor’s gray eyes flicker with some undefined emotion, and he nods once. “I said, are all the assignments all right with you?”

“Yes, sir,” I say firmly, even though I lost track of what everyone is supposed to be doing.

Max’s chest vibrates with his low laughter at my response. He knows I have no idea what I just agreed to. The tense moment of eye contact with Trevor that I don’t understand is broken when Blaze opens his mouth.

“You’re letting her clean your office?” He gives me a look of disgust that I barely catch over Max’s arm, and I cringe, shoulders hunching.

He isn’t wrong. I have stolen information for Andi before and leaving me alone in an office would be a recipe for disaster if I were so inclined. But this isn’t some heist. I haven’t broken in here looking for something Andi needs to save her life. I understand Blaze’s caution, but it isn’t necessary. Unless I was the evil jerk they think I am.

“Yes, I’m putting one of the only people I fully trust in my office to clean. Did you have a problem with that?” Trevor’s tone slid into that menacing one from outside my door that I didn’t recognize. I thought it was Max with that voice at first. Seeing it live right in front of me is hot and a little terrifying at the same time. Someone needs to open the door and let a cold breeze through.

As Blaze opens his mouth again, I quickly raise a hand to try and defuse the situation. “I can go somewhere else. It isn’t a big deal.”

Max’s hands turn into fists in front of me, knuckles white with strain, and Trevor’s eyes slowly slide to mine. He’s gone from don’t disappoint me intensity to fiery hell in seconds. It’s more than a little terrifying now. And somehow much hotter.

“Go into the office, Tera,” he says very quietly.

“Yes, sir,” I squeak and rush to obey without thought. Anything to get me away from that look on his face. If I walk fast enough, I might make enough of a breeze to cool me down.

Max doesn’t follow me this time, and I don’t look back to see if Satan, aka my boss, is behind me either.

I get into his office, and I flounder. I’ve never been called in here for a lecture before. I don’t know what kind of protocol I need to use to survive. I’m pretty sure he will make me walk over hot coals at some point.

I leave the door open so he can see that I did come in here and stand like a statue in front of his desk with tense shoulders. A couple of chairs are beside me, but I can’t seem to sit down. My gut says it would be a wrong move.

I can hear the faint murmur of Trevor’s voice speaking in that quiet, deadly tone. Even though I don’t understand what he’s saying, his voice has gotten sharper, and the words bitten off. Blaze says something in response, and then there’s silence.

After a second, I hear heavy, ominous footsteps approaching me. My shoulders tense even more as they fall silent and then resume in a more leisurely fashion. The slowed-down pace somehow helps my shoulders relax. It doesn’t lessen my nerves, but I think I can handle it better if he’s not stomping in here to yell.

I feel him enter the room and close the door softly. Then he goes behind the desk and sits down to study me from his relaxed posture. I note it all from the corners of my eyes because I can’t stop staring at the blank wall to the left of his head. It’s like I’m frozen in terror. What is wrong with me today?

“Tera?”

My body jolts, and I stand straighter. I could quit right now to get away from this.

Somehow, out of everything I’ve had run through my brain today, that thought seems the dumbest by far. Running a close second is my willingness to get out of bed this morning.

“Would you like to have this conversation standing up?” He sounds mildly curious about my answer.

Do I? Not really. My mother would make me stand up straight and stare at a wall completely still as a time-out when I was bad as a kid. I have no idea why I’m doing it now.

“May I sit down?” I ask and wince. Asking to sit was a big no-no at home during punishments. It”s nice to see that young Tera and adult Tera have still not learned that lesson.

He takes a sharp breath and says softly, “You may.”

It’s like he released a string holding me up. I’m almost boneless when I flop into the chair nearest me. Then I straighten up and keep my eyes focused on the desk that’s littered with papers in front of me. I’m too tense to try and lean back, so I clasp my hands in my lap and hold on tightly.

My actions confuse me. I’m a flipping adult. Why am I acting like I just got busted trying to sneak out of the house?

“I wasn’t calling you in here to berate you. I just want to have a discussion if you’re comfortable with that.”

“Ok.” I nod in agreement, suddenly able to meet his eyes again with a hesitant smile. My face feels weird, and I realize I haven’t been smiling much. The thought is a little concerning to me. I always smile, always have, no matter what I’m really feeling inside. When did that mask slip off, and why didn’t I notice?

He smiles back, and my lips feel slightly less awkward as I relax in the chair.

“Blaze alluded to the fact that they are aware of your arrest. Did you tell them about it?” His smile stays in place, and his eyes sparkle with amusement.

He’s probably thinking back to my job interview, where I blurted out the whole story of my arrest, hoping my honesty would benefit me in the long run.

“No,” my eyes automatically lower, and my smile falls.

They discovered it when Andi’s dad had me investigated by some high mucky-muck that could pry into my records. I tried to explain why I was arrested and the circumstances, but they never wanted to hear it, so I gave up. The only people I’ve ever confessed to are Trevor and Andi. And the three other managers I interviewed with when I was looking for a job. A boss has a right to an informed opinion before hiring me. Someone with authority deserves that much respect.

Trevor is the only one who gave me a callback, cementing him as a good guy in my books for at least giving me a chance. It’s why I get so nervous when he’s unhappy with something I’ve done. If my sweet boss is upset with me, I know I’ve really screwed up. He’s patient to a fault.

Then again, I haven’t been forthcoming with my activities over the last year. He’d be so disappointed in me. That’s probably when I stopped talking to people at work. The less I opened my mouth, the less chance I had of confessing.

He frowns at my answer and leans forward to prop his elbows on the desk, clasping his hands together loosely. “How did they find out? You were too young to have that on your record.”

“Well, you know Andi had a lot going on a while ago?” Six months almost to the day, as a matter of fact. “Her dad hired the bodyguards out there, and they investigated me.”

“They investigated you? They thought you were involved in that mess somehow?” The question is said with such disbelief that my little smile returns.

“Yeah. Bodyguards are suspicious. Who knew?” I try to make a joke of it.

“Do they know what you stole?” He chuckles a little, and I get the guts to give him a glare from under my lashes.

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask, and they don’t want to hear it.”

“Yeah, I don’t think they do. If they did, they would be less hostile.”

“Maybe,” I say doubtfully. Having them downing me every chance they got has left me with very little room for charity.

“I don’t even have any stationary in the office,” he grins wickedly, and my glare intensifies.

“I wouldn’t do that to you.” I insist. Jokes aside, he needs to know that I would never even think about doing something like that to him.

He looks surprised and slightly concerned, “It took guts to tell me about it in the first place. It isn’t even a requirement for you. I can’t think of anyone else who would be so upfront about it.”

“I just felt like you deserved to know.”

“You stole a pad of paper with some rich guy’s name on it on a dare. Yeah, breaking and entering is something I seriously frown on, but stationary?”

I’m suddenly very glad I haven’t confessed what I’ve been doing.

“So, what did Andi ask you to steal?”

My wide eyes meet his, hands twisting in my lap, instantly nervous. What is he, a mind reader? I start to fidget as my eyes shift back and forth, trying to make some flippant remark and failing. This is Trevor. How can I lie to him? Maybe if I keep my mouth shut, he won’t fire me?

One eyebrow rises, and he gets that weird, intent look on his face, silently demanding an answer. I start to sweat, and my foot starts tapping without my permission. I’m a horrible liar. I have to keep my lips clamped closed. I roll them in and hold them with my teeth, just in case.

“I know something has been happening with you for a while, Tera. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. And when Andi was in trouble, you called out as if I wouldn’t know you rarely get sick. The fake coughing call out was my favorite if I’m honest.”

Can I add being transparent to my list of flaws? It seems like a real downer.

“The point is you’ve been trying to help her, haven’t you?” He gets very serious as he leans closer, those intense eyes willing me to admit it.

My shoulders bow in at the expectant look. I want to tell him so badly, but I don’t want to disappoint him even more.

“Her problems are all over, right?”

I nod once, not trusting myself to do more than that because I might not be able to stop. I can at least admit that much.

His lips firm as his eyes slide away from me. I feel tears well up. I can typically find a silver lining in anything. For some reason, that superpower is failing me. It has been on the fritz for a while now, and I don’t know if I will ever get it back.

“I’ll quit, ok? You don’t have to worry about this or anything,” I wave as if I can wipe away the conversation and reverse time. If only.

His eyes return to me when I stand, and the hellfire look returns.

“Sit down,” he says in a grim tone.

I sit back down as if my butt has been magnetized to the seat, eyes wide as I watch him warily. My body is betraying me by submitting to his demand. I want to be frustrated, but I’m honest enough to admit my squirming isn’t just about nerves anymore. I’m so thankful for padded bras right now.

“Have you done anything since she’s been safe?”

I have to answer him. His no-nonsense attitude has never been put on me directly before, and I want to wipe it away. I want the smiles back ASAP, no matter how good it feels when he bosses me around. I shake my head and regret it because I can’t stop doing it now.

“Were these extenuating circumstances?”

I start nodding.

“If anyone asks you to break in anywhere or steal anything, you come to me from now on, understand?”

I don”t know why I would do that if this is what it gets me, but I nod anyway.

“I’m trusting you with this, Tera.” His tone is insistent, and I take it seriously.

My head stops nodding finally. I look him in the eyes and tell him honestly, “I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, babygirl. It’s them that I don’t trust. I don’t like the thought of them taking advantage of you.” His voice has turned from a warm comfort to the darkness in a blink.

“They didn’t,” I rush to assure him, and that eyebrow goes up again, which seals my lips shut.

“Now that we have that out of the way let’s talk about something else.”

Just like that? No berating me for making even more mistakes as an adult than when I was a kid? He just lets it go? No invasive questions or demanding clear answers? I’ve found a religion. I’m joining the church of Trevor.

I quickly wipe away the tears that snuck out while I wasn’t looking and nod at him again, normally this time.

“I noticed that you and Max were talking earlier,” he leans back again, and his smile reappears.

“He’s being weird,” a sudden giggle pops out, and I roll my eyes at the sudden shift in my mood.

“Is he?” He gives me a smirk and shakes his head. “Is he making you uncomfortable?”

There’s an intensity under the benign question that makes me stop and think about it.

“No. Does it make me a bad person if I say it’s easier to be mean to him than anyone I’ve ever met?”

Both brows go up in surprise this time. “I don’t think so. I tell him off all the time. He just never listens.”

“I’m sorry,” I say in honest sympathy. It’s frustrating when you speak up and aren’t heard. That makes him laugh for some reason.

“Just keep telling him off, and it will all work out,” he suggests and stands. As soon as he does, I’m also propelled to my feet.

“I’ll leave you to it. I will leave the door open to watch if one of them tries to corner you here. Max will, too. I know you like music, so play whatever you want, and if someone comes in and makes you uncomfortable, turn it up loud so one of us can hear it. Sound good?”

It sounds like paradise. I get to organize things, my favorite activity besides yoga, listen to music, and someone will defend me if I give a signal.

“It’s perfect,” I give him my brightest smile and nod.

He gives me an answering grin before he turns to leave, and I just barely hear him as he walks out. “Good girl.”

I’m unsure if he even meant to say it, but it fills me with a burst of happiness I haven’t felt in ages.