“On that note, I need to get back to work myself,” I said and got to my feet. “But one more thing before I go. When are you telling Mom?”
Luke grimaced. “I’ll call her tonight.”
“Good luck with that. Let me know how it goes.”
7
ASPEN
As soon as I got off work, I went over to the gym to talk to Coal. I wanted to explain why I hadn’t told him about my mother. Assuming he’d still talk to me after his lunch with Luke.
I entered the gym and went to the front desk to ask for Coal, but no one was there. As I was waiting, a guy in workout clothes and a busted-up face walked over to me. His eyes ran over my body, and he came to a stop far too close for my liking. “Can I help you with something, sweetheart?”
“Is Coal here?” I asked and took a step back.
He stepped forward and leaned closer. “No. But I am.”
I tried to move away from him, but he matched every step I took until my back was up against a wall. “If he’s not here, I’ll come back later,” I said.
“What if I want you to stay?”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Game bellowed before he yanked the guy away from me.
“I was chatting with the pretty lady.”
“No, you were crowding her and making her uncomfortable. Get your ass back downstairs. You aren’t supposed to be up here anyway.”
“Whatever, man,” the guy said and walked away.
“I’m sorry, Aspen. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, even though I was a little rattled by the interaction. “I came by to see if Coal was here.”
“No, he’s already gone for the day. Did you need something?”
“No, I just wanted to talk to him for a minute. It’s not a big deal. I’ll see you later.”
I hadn’t been home long when I got a text from Coal.
Coal:Heard you were looking for me.
Aspen:I stopped by to see how the rest of your lunch went.
I held my phone in my hand and waited for his reply. When it still hadn’t come after several minutes, my stomach started to sink. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he thought of me after hearing what Luke had to say.
I jumped and almost dropped my phone when someone knocked on the door. I peeked out the window to see Coal standing on my front porch and quickly opened the door to let him in.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my mother,” I blurted as soon as I closed the front door.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not, but how do you tell someone your mother is a criminal who spent years in prison, was released, and is now wanted for multiple murders? It’s not exactly the best conversation starter.”
“It’s fine. Really,” he insisted. “You didn’t lie to me. You just didn’t say anything about her. And honestly, the history you have with your mother is not something you should be expected to openly share, especially with someone you just met.”
“You were open with me about your family history,” I pointed out.
“I was, to a degree,” he admitted and took a seat on the couch. “It’s not a pretty story, but I’ll tell you if you want to know.”