reflex. “I should call Drez, let him know what happened.”
“No, you should not do that.” Popping the trunk, Brenda tugged out two bottles of water. “It'll only make him freak out. Last thing I need is him hijacking a car and driving around in a panic looking for us.”
“Would he really do that? I could just say we're fine, someone is coming for us.”
Lifting an eyebrow, Brenda tossed me a water. “This is Drezden Halifax. He won't trust someone else to handle this. Let him be, it won't take long for someone to reach us and change the tire.”
Groaning, stiff like I'd been in a fight, I stood. The water was heavy in my hand. “I kind of hate that you won't let me call him.”
Stepping around the car, she settled on the hood. “Just trust that I know best. I swear I'm suggesting this for a reason, not to be a jerk.”
With resignation, I sat beside her on the car. The water was fresh, welcome on my sticky tongue. “I know you aren't being a jerk. I just—I don't know.”
“You want to talk to him.”
Turning my head, I was faced with her knowing smile. “Yes.”
She stretched languidly across the car. “Take a breath. You'll see him tonight, and knowing Drez, when he gets his claws back in you it'll be hard tearing you two apart.” Shutting one eye, Brenda grinned at my glowing blush. “Sorry, trying to ease the tension some.”
“I know.” Fluffing my hair off my neck, I relaxed the tightness in my shoulders. “That whole thing was pretty insane.”
Brenda considered me for a long moment. “Earlier, you mentioned not being surprised about being hated. What did you mean?”
Ah, shit. Tucking my chin, I hid behind my wall of dark hair. “It was nothing, just something that crossed my mind.”
The car creaked, a hand closing on my elbow. Gently, Brenda guided me backwards until I was half-stretched beside her on the hood. “It was more than that. Something happened to you before, similar to this.” My muscles became steel, and I knew my wide-eyes gave it all away to her. “Yeah,” she said softly, “I'm right, aren't I? Lola, talk to me. Tell me what happened.”
Faces.
Everyone laughing.
“It's nothing. Nothing at all,” I muttered. Breaking free of her, I crumpled forward with my knees by my ears. I was a stone gargoyle—or I wished I was. If I was perched high on a building, I could protect myself from her prying questions.
Recalling how Brenda had chased down the bag-boy earlier in order to tip him, then how she'd taken me shopping—even if it had gone poorly—I let out a tiny puff of air. Brenda just wants to help. That's who she is, I can't be angry at her for that.
She was watching me. I appreciated her quiet patience. Brushing my hair from my cheek, I turned just enough to meet her gaze. “You really want to know about this? It's... heavy stuff.”
“Of course I want to know,” she said firmly. "But only if you want to tell me. Hell, it'll give us something to talk about while we sit here, right?”
Trying to smooth the tension again. I copied her smile, but laughter evaded me. “Alright. But remember, you asked for it.” Draping an elbow over my knee, my attention went to the scrawling tattoo across my right forearm. It was there to remind me of who I was. I'd need it, if I was going to talk about who I'd been.
Taking a breath so big it made me woozy, I grasped at that last fragment of ignorance—this little moment where Brenda didn't know a thing about my past. Then, with a simple parting of my lips, my secrets dripped off my tongue. “I was never supposed to be born.”
Brenda sat up, unable to hold back her surprise. “Oh, Lola, that...” I could feel her struggling to talk to me, to rationalize what I'd said. “I'm sure that isn't right.”
Cocking my head sent my hair scrambling down my shoulder like insect legs. “I don't mean I was just an accident. Nothing that simple.” The disgust in my voice clearly unsettled Brenda. “My mother cheated on my father. He knew because he'd had a vasectomy after Sean was born. It's how everyone knew.”
Everyone.
The word was sharp in my skull.
In front of me, Brenda squirmed. I said, “It wasn't possible to disguise it. Small towns, you know? My parents would have aborted me if they weren't so strongly against it. Instead, they