Marv leaned his head back on a rough laugh that sounded more tired than amused. "I didn't come looking for you for this," hesaid.
Wiping my eyes, I moved back. "Was it about the case?" I sniffed and wiped my nose with mysleeve.
His dark, stormy gaze watched me as he nodded. "Knix and Bellamy went in for their first shift today. Caruso and Tex are off looking for Caruso Number Two. I thought you and I could start looking forErika."
"How are we going to do that?" I asked. "We've already talked to her parents. They think she's still here. Her advisor thinks she's taking abreak."
"You know her best," hereplied.
Scrubbing a hand down my face and then back up, I grabbed a lock of my hair and yanked in frustration. "I thought I did," I said. "I thought I knew Erika better than anyone, but now I'm not so sure. The Erika I knew wouldn't have stolen money or hidden the fact that she was helping her boyfriend pay off drug debts. I feel like I'm way out of my depthhere."
"You're tired," hesaid.
Blowing out a breath, I let my shoulders slump as I peered up at him through the strands of my hair. "What gave you that idea?" Ijoked.
"You have bags under your eyes," he answered. Marv held out a hand to me. "We don't have to think about anything right now. Let's just go back to the house and we can just get somesleep."
I started shaking my head before he was even finished speaking. "There's too much to do," I said. "I should be working like everyoneelse."
"You can't do anything for anyone if you're exhausted," Marv argued. "I'm tired too. I couldn't sleep worth shit last night and to be honest, Sunshine, I've missed sleeping next to you." I was less shocked by the fact that Marv cursed and more shocked by the admission. Even after what he had learned about what happened between Bellamy and me, he was still...interested?
"You have?" Was my mind playing tricks onme?
He nodded, keeping his palm out for me, waiting. "Please?" He said it so quietly, I almost didn't hear him. But the way he said it got tome.
I closed my eyes. I couldn't say no to him when he asked like that. I found myself lifting my own hand and letting it fall in his. Truth was, I had missed sleeping next to him too, and I was so weary inside that if he had asked me with that pleading voice of his, I would have crawled into the booth at my back as long as he promised to curl around me. I missed waking up to the heat of his skin against my cheek and his breath on myneck.
"Come on, then," he said, holding my hand as we retrieved my stuff from the booth. "Let's go take a nap so we can find Erika when we wakeup."
That sounded good tome.