Smug Bastard - Stacey Marie Brown Page 0,83

looked over at him.

“I heard the whole thing.” He flipped his cell again. “And may have recorded it too.”

“Fuck, man.” I felt such a mix of emotions and contradictions. But the one thing I knew: Chance was someone I trusted with my life. My brother. And in my world, that was everything. “Thank you.”

“Always, mate. I know you would have my back the same way. Bonds you make in there are for life.”

I nodded, watching the police car pulling away, taking my wife to jail.

The hours of being questioned and interviewed at the police station still lay ahead of me, court dates and arraignment, but a strange relief relaxed my shoulders, my gut sensing the darkness slowly leaving my life finally.

That there was hope and light at the end of the tunnel.

And that light was Kinsley Maxwell.

Chapter 22

Kinsley

(5 months later)

“I think it’s time I go.” I leaned back in the café chair, staring at the crisp late-autumn morning making the picturesque city hazy with the last morsels of oranges, yellows, and reds, the ground covered in their death. December steamrolled in. People bustled by the window, running for the bus or trying to get their caffeine intake before their jobs started. The charming café was right below Sadie and Nathan’s studio in a cute little neighborhood on the border of Mission and Castro.

I was in this cafe so much some people thought I worked here.

“What?” Sadie sputtered into the coffee at her lips, her eyes wide. “No.”

“Sade.” I tipped my head. “I’ve stayed waaaay past my welcome. Your entire place could fit in the living room we had in San Diego. As sweet as Nathan has been about me and Goat crashing on your sofa this long, I think he’d really like to have it back again. Time with his girlfriend. Alone.”

During the past five months, I had fallen in love with San Francisco, though the people were a bit tech-snotty and very few I found welcoming, but I adored the actual city. It was hard not to, but I couldn’t afford to stay. I took temp jobs to help pay for my share at Sadie’s and for Goat’s food, while picking up a few marketing online classes through the college, but in this city, I was below poverty level.

“Who cares? I want you here.”

I let out a chuckle. “That’s the problem; I think he’s starting to feel like the third wheel.”

“You are barely there. You take off every weekend so Nathan and I have had plenty of time together.” Sadie swished her hand.

To lessen the overstaying thing, Goat and I left every weekend in the van, taking trips to places like Monterey, Mendocino, and Big Sur.

“It’s really time I get my shit together and get out of your hair.” In other words, my moping period was over, time to pull up my big girl pants and start finding my way. I told my parents I didn’t want to go into finance and had been really loving my marketing/PR online classes. For my last project I did a whole marketing plan for an “imaginary” construction company. I got an A, my instructor raving about it.

“Where are you gonna go? I thought you loved it here?” She set down her cup.

“I was looking at Seattle. I have a phone interview for a company up there. Starts after the new year.” I shrugged. I also had one in Los Angeles, but no way would I go there.

“Find a place around here. Maybe Oakland?” she said. “You can’t go. That guy, Ben, at my work wants me to set you two up.”

Ugh. “No.” My reaction was instant.

“Why not? He’s cute, sweet, and loves all the geeky stuff you do.”

Exhaling, I stared out the window. That was the problem. He was sweet and nice… and he did nothing for me.

Damn, Smith. He ruined me, showed me the stars then ripped it all away, leaving me empty and floating in some black hole.

I went on two dates from a dating app. The first I was so bored I wanted to cry; the second, I felt so turned off by his behavior, I was thrilled when he got up and left in the middle of the date after I said I wouldn’t have sex with him.

Goat was by far a better companion.

“Kins.” Sadie’s tone was full of sympathy and a little aggravation. “You can’t compare every guy to him. That’s not fair. It’s been like what? Six months since you’ve seen him? It’s time…”

I knew that.