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My eyes snap open and I gasp

“Shit” I jump out of bed as if I was ejected “Shit!”

Running down the hall to the front door, I undo the latch and swing the door open An annoyed looking Drew stands there He takes one look at apes

Brow furrowing, I look down and yell, “Shit!”

I don’t like to sleep in anything too bulky A spaghetti-strapped tank and panties areback to h it up, Drew! You’ll get yours”

Drew is a fellow case worker, and I forgot – I fucking forgot – that we need to be in court early this

I hteen My foster mom took care of me from the time I was sixteen, and when her health started to decline, she wanted toAustralian born, that’s where she was headed, and I accepted that I was losing my mama

Only, that’s not what happened

After days of being depressed over her is into boxes so I can send them ahead of us You should only keep a suitcase full of clothes I’lltoo early, but I still want our stuff to et there”

My head snapped up

Say what now?

Mom’s face fell at my dumbfounded expression “You don’t want to come with me?”

Blinking a few moments, I let out an excited shriek and jumped on her “Yes! Yes! I do, Mama!”

Thus ending our little miscommunication

Undressing, I spray ood thirty seconds before tossing the can aside and ru-sleeved white shirt tucked into black slacks, and add a thin black belt

Definitely courthouse chic

Slipping on a pair of low heels, I swipe the sleep from my eyes, release my hair from its ponytail, shake it out, and look at myself in the mirror

Not bad It could be a lot worse

Pursing my lips, I nod my head in affirmation

It’s going to have to do I don’t have tiht now

Stepping out of my room, Drew turns to me and does a double take His blue eyes widen “You seriously got…” he gestures to my entire body, “…all of that done in not even five minutes?”

Rushing to grab my purse in the kitchenette, I say, “Uh huh”

He shakes his head, irl Seriously, though Who needs two hours to get ready to go to the movies?”

That is a long time

Finally having located my purse and files, I walk back out to hi to backfire She only takes so long because she wants to look nice for you”

Walking to my front door, he scoffs, “I prefer her without all the shit all over her face”

Stopping in my tracks, I place a hand on my hip and tilt my head “Have you told her that?”

Drew’s lips purse indignantly

Just as I thought No He hasn’t

Lifting er at him, I instruct, “You need to tell her that”

We exit my unit and head out to his car On the way over to the courthouse, he asks, “You knohat you need to say?”

Nodding, I tell hiht forward In and out Tahlia takes better care of herself than her parents do And besides that, she’s seventeen If she wants to be ereat chance We’re not talking about a thirteen-year-old here We’re talking about a seventeen-year-old who left hoot a job, and found a place to stay On Her Own She’s responsible, and…” turning to Drew, I add with a s I think she’s got what it takes to stay out of the system”

Drew turns back to the road, s”

A shit-eating-grin spreads across my face “I know”

I’iddy

As soon as we exit the courtroom, I lose ratulations, honey!”

She laughs quietly and acceptsall the while

I love my job

She mutters into my shirt, “Thank you Really Thank you so much”

Pulling back, I place her hair behind her ear and admit, “It was my pleasure”

Releasing her coh the plan “So what happens now is that you’re free to do as you please That is not an invitation for you to have all-nighters and get wasted, you hear?”

Tahlia rolls her eyes “Yes, mum”

I chuckle I love how blunt the Australian accent is

S, I place my hand on her forearm and squeeze “You know you can call anyti, I tell her, “It could be so silly, like advice about a boy, or even what laundry detergent to use for a particular type of stain” She laughs at , honey You’re not on my books anymore, but you’ll always be one of my kids”

The sht She whispers, “Thanks, Miss Ballentine”

Shaking my head, I utter in coet to call me Lexi”

She wipes at her eye to stop the tear before it falls “Thanks, Lexi”

Walking backwards towards Drew’s car, I say, “You’re so welcome”

Dreaits patiently in the driver’s seat playing around on his phone As I approach the car, I feel hi me

Shivers break out over my entire body My hair stands on end

Stopping with a jerk, I try to play it cool I openfor so important

My heart races

Where is he?

I try to look around discreetly My gaze drifts across the street to one of thefor the faive up, I see him

He watcheson a café chair

I know I should report this

He’s everywhere And Ito be before I know

His head lifts, and his eyes watch mine

He never acknowledges me He doesn’t ever make a move to meet me

He just…is Never bothering me

In fact, seeing hi in me

He is lodged in my subconscious The star of my dreams Which is ridiculous I know

His eyes are fierce Full of fire I don’t knohat to make of it

Drew yells out, “Ready to go, Lex?”

And I shakehere for close to five e et back to the office”

My eyes drift back to him

Just one more peek

But he’s gone Like always

Stalked by a phantom

I mentally scoff

Figures

Arriving at our workplace, I say goodbye to Drew, and accept his four-hundredth congratulations on winning Tahlia’s freedom

S all the way toin my chair

Well, swinging on it with his feet up on my desk like a millionaire businessman

“Michael, feet off the desk Now”

Usingas I do it with a huge smile on my face

But Michael’s different He’s a good boy

His feet slip off my desk and he smirks “Got some news for me?”

Shit

My face falls And when he sees it, so does his

Michael is almost seventeen He has a foster faot out of jail not six ain

But she…

“She doesn’t want lares down at his feet

Walking forward, I placeon h “Oh, sweetie It’s not that There’syou back, which she does, by the way”

He turns his glare to me “You’re supposed to be on my side”

Leaning forward, I look hiht in the eye “I am on your side Always Don’t ever question that”

Looking properly chastised but still pissed, he asks quietly, “Why?”

Leaning back in the chair, I explain, “There’s a huge process when a person coreat, and basic as basic co to it In your o to therapy every week, and she’ll have drug tests done on a monthly basis for a while And honestly, honey…” He looks up “…she thinks you deserve better As do I Heryou back for a fewit on your own Which you will Won’t you?”