to go.”
He sat back on the bed and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I…it was Jonah. He’s a friend.” He still didn’t say anything. She looked around as she gathered up the rest of her clothes. They were the only things on the floor, since he kept everything either in the hamper or away in the drawers or closet where they belonged.
She had all her clothes in her hands. “I’m sorry to cut this short. I had a real good time.”
“Is that…do you have a boyfriend?”
“What?” She shook her head in disbelief. “No! No way.”
“So where are you going, Jamie Lynn?”
“I can’t say.”
“You can’t or you won’t?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not really.” He stood up and stomped past her to the bathroom. “So all your talk about having no secrets was bullshit.” He slammed the door shut behind him.
—
JL sat on the bed with the pile of clothes in her hands contemplating what to do. When Enzo came out of the bathroom he had a blank expression on his face underneath his glasses. He’d dressed in jeans and a baby blue polo and his hair was neatly parted to the side.
She spoke first. “Okay, listen. It’s not what you think.”
“You don’t know what I’m thinking.”
“Bless your silly man heart, of course I do.” She patted the space next to the bed. “You think I’m going to leave you to go off and meet some other guy.” He didn’t say anything and didn’t sit down, so she continued. “I don’t want you to think that.”
“So tell me what it is, then.” When he realized it wasn’t a situation involving another romantic relationship, his demeanor relaxed.
“How about I take you with me?” She began to put on her clothes. “But you can’t judge me, okay?”
“Is it illegal?” He chuckled, but when she didn’t answer, his eyes widened. “Damn, Jamie Lynn. I’ve lived the dullest life. I never even cheated on a test. On Thursday we almost got arrested, and now what?”
“You don’t have to come with me.” She sighed. “I won’t lie—it’s not exactly legal. But it’s for the best. It’s like civil disobedience kind of stuff. Don’t worry, Pretty Boy. I’ll protect you.” She winked before leaving the room.
Chapter 10
“Make a left here,” Jamie Lynn said, pointing to the intersection in front of them. Why the hell are we in the Design District? Enzo thought anxiously.
The hairs on his neck prickled and he was beginning to get a very bad feeling, and not just because they were in the worst part of town. She indicated an abandoned gasoline station and said, “Park right over there.”
He let out a breath and did as instructed. “You know this part of town is falling apart.”
“It may seem like complete shit, but less than two blocks down it’s kind of becoming an up-and-coming—”
“I’m aware.”
She turned to look at him, briefly curious. “You are?” But then she shook her head, and before he had a chance to explain how he knew about this particular area, she went on. “Anyhow, so there’s this small strip known as the Walls. It used to be an industrial area, and it’s packed full of abandoned warehouses. It’s a lot like an area in Miami that used to be a dump but is now slowly becoming the trendiest part of town. Since the government didn’t do anything to improve the area, the local artists did it themselves, and now it’s become kind of boho chic.” She was speaking a mile a minute. “And we’re doing the same here. You know what gentrification is?”
He had to stop himself from scoffing. Did he know what gentrification was? Of course he did. That was his profession. He went into bad areas, abandoned urban communities, and made them into up-and-coming neighborhoods. He ignored the question and instead asked, “We?”
“Me and some of my friends. Mostly artists, but they’re real artists.”
“You are a real artist, Jamie Lynn. Maybe it’s not your profession, but you’re very good at it.”
She looked down at her lap and lifted a shoulder. “Thanks—I appreciate you saying that. But these are some of the best tattooists and artists that I know. They’ve actually showed at galleries. I’m honored to do this with them.”
He felt his heart pound. This conversation could change their entire relationship. This clearly meant the world to her. They exited the car, and she took his hand and led them half a block down. And then he saw it.
Wall after wall of colorful…“Graffiti? You guys are doing graffiti?”
“No! Open your mind.