Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,20
kidding! Sort of. Anyway, I’ll buy you another battery once things cool down.”
“I appreciate your charity,” I deadpan.
“No problem,” Rich says, ignoring my sarcasm. “Anyway, as I was saying, even if you go to the cops, they won’t be able to protect you forever. And you can’t hide forever, either.”
“Not forever,” I point out. “Just long enough for you to settle your debt.”
“I told you, I did settle it,” Rich stresses.
“That’s not what they think,” I note.
“No, but they are wrong. Will you let me finish? We can’t go to the cops because of what I said. Our only option right now is to lay low until the heat blows over.”
“And how long is that going to take? A day?” I pause. “Two days?”
“A week,” Rich says seriously. “At least.”
“A week!” I exclaim, aghast. “Rich, I can’t just drop everything and hide for a week! I have my own life out there, things I have to deal with! I have class, and work, and my roommate, my apartment…” I trail off as I feel hot tears building behind my eyes. I’m determined not to show him my weakness. I look out the window, and take a few deep breaths to compose myself.
“Hey,” he says gently, “I know it’s a lot to take in.” He puts a hand on my shoulder, but I twist away.
“No shit!” I snarl. “It IS a lot to take in! You can’t just uproot me from my life like that!”
“Trust me,” Rich says seriously. “I never planned on having things end up this way. But we’ve got to play the hand we’re dealt. Right? I thought you’d be safe to go by now, too. I never expected them to find your wallet. But we’ve got to take certain precautions now—”
“Take me to the cops,” I demand.
Rich stops, frowns. “What?”
“Take me to the police station, Richard,” I repeat slowly. “Right now!”
“I’ve told you—”
“No. It doesn’t matter. You said it yourself: None of this is supposed to concern me.” I take a deep breath. “So, what does it matter to you what I do? I’d rather take my chances with the cops than run away and hide for a week with you. No offense. At least I’ll know they have my best interests at heart.”
“Oh, and I DON’T?” Rich roars. His eyes darken again, his brows furrow, and he scowls at me like some angry demigod. I can see the passion in his eyes.
An instant later his expression softens, and the anger fades. “Penny, listen. I’m just trying to keep you safe. I told you what will happen if you go to the police. You’ll be caught. I know it shouldn’t matter to me…” he runs a hand through his hair, “…but it does. It does! Okay? I know we barely know each other, but I care about what happens to you. Really, I do.”
He gives a strained chuckle. “You don’t share what we had last night and pretend it doesn’t matter. I can’t just forget about you like that. If you really want to go to the cops… I’ll bring you. I won’t force you to stay with me. But it’s not a smart move. And if anything happens to you because of it, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
His confession is so heartfelt it moves me. I didn’t know I mattered to him so much
“So?” Rich asks, looking at me. “What’ll it be, Penny? You want me to drop you off at the station?”
“I…” I draw a deep breath. “I trust you, Rich. But… a week? Really?” My shoulders slump despondently. “I just can’t disappear for that long.”
“A day, then,” he suggests. “You said you’d be fine with that at the start. Remember?” He rolls over my weak attempt at a protest. “A day somewhere safe where we can both get some rest and think things through. Maybe it doesn’t have to take a week. Maybe I’ll find a way to sort things out earlier. But give me a day, at least, before you go to the cops. That way, I’ll know I’ve done all I can to protect you.”
I close my eyes, and take another deep breath. I know I’m in no state of mind to make any serious decisions now. A day of rest does sound awfully tempting. Besides, maybe Rich is right. Maybe going to the cops this early is a bad idea. He knows a hell of a lot more about these people than I do.
“Okay,” I nod finally. “Okay. You