Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“I feel terrible about leaving you.”
Moira sounded exasperated. “Enough with the guilt! You did the right thing. People tried to snatch you off the street in broad daylight, for fuck’s sake! If you hadn’t left willingly, I would’ve kidnapped you myself and dragged you out of town to keep you safe.”
“You would, too.”
“Damn right.”
I grinned and settled more comfortably into the chair. “So, guess what happened last night.”
“You and Sam boned!”
I sighed at that. “You guessed too big. Now telling you he kissed me is going to seem anticlimactic.”
“That’s fantastic! Do you like this guy?”
“Yeah, I really do. But I’m probably setting myself up for heartbreak.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I’m not his type. I saw a picture of his ex, and that guy is everything I’m not. There’s no way Sam would want me.”
“You have to stop being so hard on yourself, Andy. For real. You still see yourself as the scrawny little nerd you were back in grade school, but you’re not that guy anymore.”
“Of course I am. Don’t you remember what happened when we went to that nightclub a few days ago? Nobody asked me to dance, although they were flocking to Qian.”
“People were approaching him because he was relaxed and looked friendly. You, on the other hand, were hunched over with your arms folded across your chest, trying your best not to make eye contact with anyone. You expected to be rejected, so you put up your defenses and drove everyone away.”
“I didn’t know I was doing that.”
“You usually assume the worst and act accordingly. But if you like Sam, you need to give him a chance. I know things have gone badly for you in the past, but that doesn’t mean this will.”
“But what if it does? What if I make a fool of myself, or what if this all falls apart? We’re stuck together, and—”
“You’re making excuses. If you weren’t currently stuck with each other, you’d find some other reason to talk yourself out of this. But he obviously likes you, or he wouldn’t have kissed you.” I explained my any port in a storm theory, which made Moira sigh. “Why can’t you see yourself for who you really are? You’re adorable, Andy. You’re also smart, and kind, and a bunch of other good things. Sam would be lucky to have you.”
“You’re just being nice.”
“I’m being honest. So hey, here’s an idea. Unfasten your top button, since you’re probably buttoned up to your eyeballs like usual. Then go find Sam, and let him know you’re interested.”
“Maybe I will, but I’ll have you know I’m wearing a T-shirt.” I grinned and added, “I’m also wearing borrowed sweats with the word ‘juicy’ across the ass. Why the hell would they say that?”
“It’s the name of the company that makes them, which is known for its branding. Why are you in borrowed sweats?”
“Let’s just say I’m having wardrobe issues.”
Moira and I ended up talking for another half hour. During that time, Sam came back from moving the car. He stuck his head into my room to check on me and flashed me a smile before ducking back out again.
The last thing my best friend said to me before we ended the call was, “Be brave, Andy. I’m not just talking about your current situation. Be brave when it comes to Sam. If you want him, then you owe it to yourself to try.”
After we hung up, I found Sam in the kitchen. He’d spread out the contents of the go-bag on the island and was in the process of dismantling his phone. The bag itself had been reduced to scraps.
I asked the obvious question. “What are you doing?”
“I’ve been thinking about how we could’ve been discovered at the motel. A person with specific superpowers is one explanation. A tracking device would be another.”
“You think SPAM might have bugged the bag before they gave it to us?” He shrugged, and I reminded him, “But they already have the journal. Why would they send a bunch of thugs after us?”
“Why does SPAM do anything? But okay, here’s a possible explanation. Now that the Men in Black whisked away the journal, maybe other parts of the agency aren’t being given access to it. Maybe they think we’re their best bet for finding out what it said.”
“But they helped us leave.”
“Your contact did, but that doesn’t mean everyone at SPAM wanted to let us go.”
“I think you might possibly be a bit paranoid.”
“I know. But it was nagging at me, so I wanted to rule out the possibility.”
“Here’s a question for you.” I took a seat on a barstool and rested my elbows on the kitchen island. “If you’re so suspicious of SPAM, why’d you go to work for them?”
“Because it seemed like the best way to uncover what they’re up to.”
“Were you reading all of those reports because you wanted to find some dirt on them?”