She glanced around the empty bar. “Do I have any choice?”
I groaned. “Yes. Of course you do. If you want to run, there’s the door. Take my car. I wouldn’t chase you down, even if I could right now. I want you to trust me, not be afraid of me.”
She pointed to my phone. “What was that for? Is someone tracking you?”
I glanced at the mess, sweeping it all from the table surface, and into my pocket.
“Nah… I just haven’t paid a parking ticket.”
She heaved a huge sigh, and retrieved my car keys from her pocket, slamming them on the table.
“If you can’t be fucking honest with me, then I’m not staying.” I grabbed her hand as she turned away.
“Julie, please. Have I done anything to hurt you? Or make you fear me? I’m asking for you to trust me, just long enough to hear me out. But I can’t do it here. It’s not safe.”
She glanced around again. “Someone’s coming here?”
Fuck… this is taking too long.
“Can you help me stand up, please, little angel? I can’t do it alone.” She faltered for a moment, and then stepped close, letting me lean on her, helping me slide out of the booth.
“Jesus… I shouldn’t have tried sitting in there. Can you drive me to your place, please?”
She was frowning at me. “Why mine?”
“Because they have my address, but they don’t know about you.” I fucking hope. Please tell me Cass kept her mouth shut.
She groaned, grabbing the keys from the table. “Fine. But then you’re going to tell me everything, Adam. I won’t trust you unless you do.”
She definitely wouldn’t trust me once I did. I just wasn’t sure I could keep lying to her anymore. Telling her about Cass had opened the floodgates. Let out enough, that I wanted to keep going. Purge myself of every fucking secret I’d had to hold back, because of those bastards.
But telling her would surely guarantee my death, and maybe hers too.
We made it as rapidly to my car as we could, with my fucking trashed body slowing us down. Only as we drove away, did I manage to shake that unnerving feeling that someone was watching us.