Diamonds Are Forever - Brooke St. James Page 0,17

could put aside any insecurities or reservations and enjoy the evening, be someone else for a little while.

Other than going to work, I honestly didn't get to get out of the house much by myself. It wasn't that I didn't have the ability to go out and do things, I just had fun hanging out with Mac, and we had settled into a routine.

"Do you really have a list, or were you joking?" he asked, drawing me from my thoughts before we got out of his truck.

"Oh, of things I want to ask God? I definitely have a list."

"What's on it?" he asked.

"Hmm, where did the dinosaurs go? Why did He make mosquitos, flies, wasps, centipedes? Goodness. Centipedes, why? Also, why do babies get sick? Is Elvis really dead? Did my parents make it to heaven? Stuff like that."

"Whoa," Drew said, reacting quietly but with a stunned look about my last statement. He had been smiling during most of it, but his smile faded when I mentioned my parents.

"It's fine. I was five years old. Our parents got into a car accident. Me and my little brother got adopted after that. It's been a long time, and Daniel and Abigail are mom and dad to us. We have another brother, Evan, who once punched a kid in the face for saying I was adopted." I shook my head a little, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine and everything. In a way, I'm thankful it all happened. In the time after they passed and before I went to live with Mom and Dad, I had experiences that… anyway… that's part of the reason I can imagine things like I do. I learned that when I was little, and I can tap into fantasyland anytime now." I smiled and shrugged.

"Wow, I guess everybody sees the world a little different," he said. "We all have such different takes on life."

"Yeah, we do, and all sorts of things factor into our perception. We were born a certain way, with natural genetic features and tendencies, and then you have to factor the way we were raised and the people we were exposed to. All sorts of combinations can happen. No two people are exactly alike. Even twins who have things lined up with their genes and upbringing still turn out different. I have cousins who are twins, and they're crazy different."

Drew stared at me. I had no idea what he was thinking. "You're… different, too," he said. He hesitated at his choice of words, cringing at himself.

I smiled since I didn't take offense to it at all. "Thanks," I said, casually reaching for the door handle.

"I did mean it as a compliment," he said as he got out of his side.

"What about you?" I asked as we began walking toward the entrance. "Tell me something about your filter."

"What filter?"

"You know, the one we were just talking about. The one you see life through."

"Oh, well, according to the song by Creedence Clearwater, I'm a fortunate son, whatever that means, probably that I'm a spoiled brat."

"It ain't me, it ain't me." I sang-out, making him smile. "I ain't no fortunate son," I continued, leaving out the part where they specifically say, I ain't no senator's son.

"Yep, exactly," he said, smiling.

"Does everyone think you're spoiled?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Probably, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little spoiled, in some regards. But money doesn't equal happiness. There's a lot of stress in my dad's job, and he and my mom have issues and stuff. We've always had money, but I never really got their attention or anything. Also, I'll do it, and I'll be good at it, but it wasn't really my idea to be a lawyer. That was all my parents."

"Really?" I asked looking at him. "You're going to spend the rest of your life doing a job you don't like? That's terrible. Don't do it. Your parents won't be mad at you very long if you decide to do something else."

He let out a little chuckle. "Yes, they would, but it's okay because now that I'm this far into it, I see where I can be useful in one aspect of the system. I'll be a lawyer for a while and then I'll become a judge. I may change my mind once I'm doing it full-time, but I think that aspect of it could be a calling for me."

"A judge, huh? Interesting. That's cool. With the robe and gavel?"

"Yeah."

"Neat. You'll need lots