Despite his criticisms about my rightful place in this investigation, Derek takes back the soap and studies it. I lead Susu back outside and roll my eyes.
Those little liars.
CHAPTER EIGHT
On the car ride back, neither Cole nor I have the guts to talk about what happened. It is like it didn't happen at all. I can't think of the right words, and Cole can't either. Judging by the way he starts talking about the newspaper article and quickly jumps to the weather, I'd say he doesn't know what to make of it.
Me neither.
I walk into my apartment and let Susu up on the sofa. Bree is scrubbing pans in the kitchen. She looks up when I enter the room and shakes her head. She's going to be mad at me for leaving without her, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe it wasn't.
"Thanks for leaving me here alone with Jeff." Bree pauses to take a deep breath. "Well, how did it go? Did you figure out where Gino was staying?"
"Yes."
"And?" She places a hand on her hip, flicking a strand of strawberry blonde hair out of her face.
"We went there and…" Like Bree, I'm at a loss for words. All I can think about is Cole and the kiss. "We found binoculars, a date book, and then Detective Reid showed up."
"Ouch." She continues scrubbing dishes, and I jump in to help. It might force her to be less mad at me. "I bet he didn't like that."
"No, he didn't." I stare at the bowl she's rinsing. She scrubs it with soap and rinses it again. She repeats this same process a couple of times before deciding to move on. "Is something wrong?"
Bree comes to a halt—her cheeks turning rosy.
"No."
The way she blurts it out tells me otherwise.
"Sure," I respond.
"What about you?" she asks, noticing that I've also been scrubbing an already-clean pan for the same amount of time. "Is something wrong?"
"No," I blurt out the same way she did.
"Sure."
The two of us step away from the sink and retreat to the living room. Bree rubs at the water stains on her apron, and I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead. The heat, while easier to handle indoors, is something I'm still fighting to get used to. Susu puts her head in my lap.
"I should take her back to Otto's," I say. "He might be home by now."
"Want company?" Bree waits for my response. I want to tell her all about Cole and what happened in Gino's apartment, but I'm not sure how to spit it out. Besides, saying it out loud means it really happened. I don't want things to change between the three of us.
You should've thought of that before you kissed the guy.
"Absolutely," I answer.
* * *
Bree looks shocked when we pull up to Chef Otto's rental house. I hop out of the car with Susu and punch in the garage code only to find that Otto's bright red Ferrari is still absent. I take a deep breath.
"Come on, girl. Let's get you some food."
"Did you see all this?" Bree pulls my arm. She jogs back toward the yard where there are piles of fallen pecans. Some that look whole and appetizing and some that have been torn to shreds by squirrels. Crazy things . "I can't believe, out of all people, Chef Otto would let all these go to waste."
"It wouldn't surprise me if he hasn't even noticed," I respond. "He spends too much time taking selfies and signing fan mail."
"I'm taking them," Bree replies. She starts loading handfuls into the car while I take Susu inside the house and refill her bowls with dog food and fresh water. She takes a few bites and then looks up at me. I contemplate keeping her for a little while longer. After all, Otto spends most of his weekdays on campus and apparently his weekends in Atlanta. Susu must be lonely. I sigh.
"Fine," I say out loud. "Finish eating, and I'll bring you back home with me."
Susu does what I ask. As soon as she's finished, I grab her dog bed and head back outside where Bree is still collecting fallen pecans. I start the car, looking in awe at the whole pecans piled on the passenger's seat. I put Susu in back and help Bree with her
Those little liars.
CHAPTER EIGHT
On the car ride back, neither Cole nor I have the guts to talk about what happened. It is like it didn't happen at all. I can't think of the right words, and Cole can't either. Judging by the way he starts talking about the newspaper article and quickly jumps to the weather, I'd say he doesn't know what to make of it.
Me neither.
I walk into my apartment and let Susu up on the sofa. Bree is scrubbing pans in the kitchen. She looks up when I enter the room and shakes her head. She's going to be mad at me for leaving without her, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe it wasn't.
"Thanks for leaving me here alone with Jeff." Bree pauses to take a deep breath. "Well, how did it go? Did you figure out where Gino was staying?"
"Yes."
"And?" She places a hand on her hip, flicking a strand of strawberry blonde hair out of her face.
"We went there and…" Like Bree, I'm at a loss for words. All I can think about is Cole and the kiss. "We found binoculars, a date book, and then Detective Reid showed up."
"Ouch." She continues scrubbing dishes, and I jump in to help. It might force her to be less mad at me. "I bet he didn't like that."
"No, he didn't." I stare at the bowl she's rinsing. She scrubs it with soap and rinses it again. She repeats this same process a couple of times before deciding to move on. "Is something wrong?"
Bree comes to a halt—her cheeks turning rosy.
"No."
The way she blurts it out tells me otherwise.
"Sure," I respond.
"What about you?" she asks, noticing that I've also been scrubbing an already-clean pan for the same amount of time. "Is something wrong?"
"No," I blurt out the same way she did.
"Sure."
The two of us step away from the sink and retreat to the living room. Bree rubs at the water stains on her apron, and I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead. The heat, while easier to handle indoors, is something I'm still fighting to get used to. Susu puts her head in my lap.
"I should take her back to Otto's," I say. "He might be home by now."
"Want company?" Bree waits for my response. I want to tell her all about Cole and what happened in Gino's apartment, but I'm not sure how to spit it out. Besides, saying it out loud means it really happened. I don't want things to change between the three of us.
You should've thought of that before you kissed the guy.
"Absolutely," I answer.
* * *
Bree looks shocked when we pull up to Chef Otto's rental house. I hop out of the car with Susu and punch in the garage code only to find that Otto's bright red Ferrari is still absent. I take a deep breath.
"Come on, girl. Let's get you some food."
"Did you see all this?" Bree pulls my arm. She jogs back toward the yard where there are piles of fallen pecans. Some that look whole and appetizing and some that have been torn to shreds by squirrels. Crazy things . "I can't believe, out of all people, Chef Otto would let all these go to waste."
"It wouldn't surprise me if he hasn't even noticed," I respond. "He spends too much time taking selfies and signing fan mail."
"I'm taking them," Bree replies. She starts loading handfuls into the car while I take Susu inside the house and refill her bowls with dog food and fresh water. She takes a few bites and then looks up at me. I contemplate keeping her for a little while longer. After all, Otto spends most of his weekdays on campus and apparently his weekends in Atlanta. Susu must be lonely. I sigh.
"Fine," I say out loud. "Finish eating, and I'll bring you back home with me."
Susu does what I ask. As soon as she's finished, I grab her dog bed and head back outside where Bree is still collecting fallen pecans. I start the car, looking in awe at the whole pecans piled on the passenger's seat. I put Susu in back and help Bree with her
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