don’t need to worry about figuring that out anymore.” I patted Sledge’s leg. “Sledge and his friends along with the Detective Kaye were able to figure it out.”
“Friends?” Sledge chuckled.
“Well, they’re your friends, aren’t there?” I grumbled.
“I guess you’re right, sugar.”
Lynn pointed her finger between Sledge and me. “I like you two together.”
I scrunched up my nose.
Sledge sat back in his chair and kicked out his legs. “Queenie thinks we’re moving too fast.”
“Oh, is there a certain time you’re supposed to be together?” Lynn asked.
“It’s just I’m kind of going through a lot right now, and I don’t think we need to rush into labeling what we’re doing.”
“I don’t need a label,” Sledge drawled. “As long as we’re doing it, I don’t care what you call it.”
Oh, God. “We’re also not doing it,” I blurted.
Why did I feel like I needed to justify myself to Lynn? I felt she was going to judge me no matter what I said or did. Sledge talking wasn’t helping, either.
Lynn help up her hands. “Uh, well, I don’t really think that’s any of my business.”
I leaned into Sledge. “Can you just let me do the talking for a second?”
“Have at it, Sugar.”
I was going smack him when we left. Even when being a smartass, he was hot as fire.
Lynn watched me expectantly while I tried to figure out where to start.
Sledge tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. I pressed my hand on his leg to silence him.
“That’s good practice for when Gunner gets older and he drives you crazy,” Sledge laughed.
“By the time he’s old enough to be slightly annoying, I’ll be a pro from dealing with you,” I grumbled.
Sledge leaned forward. “Have you ever heard of feisty flakes, Doc?”
“Oh, my God! You’re worse than a kid.”
Sledge shrugged and sat back. “Sorry, sugar.”
Lynn smiled and rested her elbows on the table. “It probably would be a good idea to get to what you wanted to talk to me about. I do have another meeting in about fifteen minutes. Though it is fascinating watching you two interact.”
Oh, Lord. Lynn was shrinking us in her head. Analyzing what our problem was and figuring out if we were actually a good match or not. I needed to get out of here before Sledge drove me crazy.
“I wanted to tell you I was sorry for the other day. I didn’t mean to yell at you like I did,” I explained.
“Oh, that,” Lynn laughed. “You actually went pretty easy on me. I totally understand what you were saying.”
“I know, but I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I don’t even know you.”
“No, but I’m sort of an extension of your sister. I know you two had a tumultuous relationship for a while. Duchess did a lot of things to you that any normal person wouldn’t have taken like you did.”
Huh. Duchess had told Lynn about all the money she had stolen and the empty promises she gave? “I know it was the drugs making her do all of those shitty things. It was just hard to know my sister and watch her become, well, whoever she was before she died.”
Lynn nodded. “It’s not easy. You’re watching it happen, knowing what she’s doing is wrong, but you can’t do anything to stop her. I told your boyfriend the other day that watching someone become and be an addict is a whole different level of pain and hurt. So many why’s and you can’t get an answer for any of them. I wasn’t meaning to excuse the way Duchess treated you. I just wanted you to know that when she was coming out of it and when she was sober, Duchess knew everything you did for her. She knew she had hurt you, but she didn’t know what to do with that. It was a double-edged sword with her. While using, she could take from anyone and not feel a thing, but she wanted to be sober to stop doing those things, but when she was sober, she hated herself for the things she did when she was using.”
God. What a fucking mess. You do shitty stuff on drugs and then hated yourself when you were sober for what you did, so to numb the pain, you use again. “She didn’t need to feel bad for those things. I got it even though I hated it. I just wanted her to be clean and just be my big sister again.”
Lynn sighed. “I know, Queenie. This is where it’s hard to understand