24
JOHNNY
We develop a routine without really planning it.
Between classes, gravity seems to pull us together. After school, Claire works for a few hours training at Bram’s while I study in the corner or turn into Franklin’s bitch boy. And when she’s done, we eat some kind of takeout dinner while we catch up on assignments.
She’s a fucking superhero, managing to get me nearly caught up in the few days we’ve spent with each other, all while staying on top of her own stuff, and her new job as a waitress.
I click the screen on my phone, the wordFridayglaring back at me.
I officially have one week to locate this package, and I haven’t made any more progress on it since I got the lead from Josey. I haven’t mentioned the time constraint to Claire, because then I’d have to come up with some excuse to explain the severity of the situation. And so far, I’ve managed to keep her distracted with homework to take her mind off my colossal problem.
It’s not ideal, given I’ll probably be executed in seven days, but it’s worth it to spend a little more time with her.
"What are you thinking about?" Claire tops off my coffee and slides into the booth next to me.
“Nothing.” It pains me to lie to her, even about this. She deserves the truth at all times, no matter what. It’s a heavily contradictory way of thinking, given our situation.
“It’s about theother thing,isn’t it?”
Sometimes it weirds me out how in touch with my thoughts she is. All I was doing was staring blankly at the wall, how could she know what was on my mind?
“Yeah.” I let out a breath.
“I’m off in”—she pivots to spot the clock near the cash register—“ten minutes.”
Meaning, that’s how long I have to figure out what the fuck I’m going to tell her.
Oh hey, Claire, girl that has literally been a fucking angel in this hell that I’m living. I’m sort of working for a notorious criminal, and I’m pretty sure I’ve been delivering drugs and weapons all over town because I was trying to help someone out who didn’t deserve what was going on. I think the guy set me up and hired some brutes to beat my ass and steal a package, so he’d have a legitimate excuse to fire me, kill me, or go back on his end of the bargain. I have no idea what was in the package, and no clue how I’ll locate it, but if I don’t, by next Friday, you might never see me again. Basically, it was nice knowing you.
Something like that, right?
“Okay.”
She goes back to work and leaves me with my destructive thoughts.
How do I tell her the truth without losing her in the process?
Things have been good between us; I don’t want to complicate it with this mess I’m in.
But continuing to keep my secret will only deepen the divide between us, and as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think I can do this on my own.
I’ve gotten used to doing everything myself. That’s how life has always been. This time, though, I might be in over my head.
“Hey.” She appears at my side. “Bram said I could go since we’re slow.”
I shove everything into my bag and take a final swig of my coffee. “Let’s get out of here.” I lead her out of the diner and head toward our complex in silence.
She side-eyes me a few times but doesn’t ask any questions. At one point, she checks her phone, types something, and puts it away.
I can’t help wondering whether or not it was her ex, but I don’t dare ask. If she wanted me to know, she’d tell me.
“Cora invited us to go out with her and her friends tonight.”
"Oh?" I punch in the code to the gate.
“Yeah. I told her we were studying.”