Page 10 (1/1)
Geether, but Violet was sure she could handle the situation on her own She certainly didn’t want to tattle to the team’s shrink about it
"And Sara?"
He was definitely covering all the bases "Sara’s fine," Violet assured him "She’s easy to ith, and I trust her That’s important to ht, then, back to this uneasiness you’re feeling What about sleep, Violet? Can you sleep when you’re feeling this way?"
Nor the CDs he’d made for her--she had This was new
Still, she had to admit she didn’t feel totally rested "I did, but I’ as she said it "I dreairl"
He studied Violet, and then stood and went to his desk Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, he unlocked a drawer and reached inside When he returned, he held his hand out to her, giving her a transparent brown prescription bottle "These will help Take one if you have trouble again tonight It won’t do you any good to lose sleep" Then he scribbled on a pad of notebook paper before tearing a sheet free "Here’s a prescription for more if you need them If your parents have questions, they can callher another one of his business cards He scrawled a phone number on the back "And this is my mobile number, in case it’s after hours" His eyes held hers "You can use the nu At any time"
Violet nodded as she slipped both the note and the bottle into her pocket
Sleep would be good, she decided Sleep ht be just what she needed
Violet stood outside, watching as the lights went out, row by row, inside the auto parts store where Jay worked She probably should’ve felt guilty about showing up unannounced, but truthfully, she didn’t The only thing she felt was that familiar thrum of anticipation in the pit of her stomach whenever she was about to see Jay When the door finally opened and she heard the key slide into the lock, she s out of the shadows
"Jesus, Vi, you scared the crap outtafron, Violet could see the easy smile that found his lips as he stuffed the bulky store keys in his pocket "Although I have to admit I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away"
She " She lifted both hands in front of her, as if he hadn’t already seen the two cups she was holding, her version of a roesture They were Jay’s favorite, cherry Slurpees fro such si the red, slushy drinks re on the hot blacktop parking lot in front of the run-down convenience store, waiting for so to happen But it was Buckley, after all, and the best thing that ever happened was a street race between two hotheaded teens trying to show off for a girl Orwhich the police would be called Every so often it was her uncle ould show up, and she and Jay would talk hi the out in the park instead
Jay grinned, reaching for one of the cups Violet sat down on the curb, just like they used to do as kids, and lifted her straw to her lips
"I’ her lead and dropping onto the curb beside her
Violet leaned against hi, and she felt a different kind of spark, the kind forged froed This here she should always be With Jay
"So hoas your appoint as he stared down at her, his lips already turning red froood," she said, taking a long pull fro the sweet, syrupy ice around her tongue "It--it helped to talk to hiiven her, the ones in her pocket, pressed against her thigh at this veryshe couldn’t handle this on her own That willpoasn’t enougheven though, clearly, it wasn’t "But, you know, I still don’t feel great I was hoping that seeing you ed at her lips as she shrugged "better," she finished
She knew he’d understand what she was telling hi on her still
After a hesitant pause, Jay set the wax-coated cup on the sidewalk next to hiainst the top of Violet’s dark curls Despite the icy sensation of his lips, heat unfurled in Violet’s belly, licking through her "I hate this, you know" Absently, he reached for her hand, lifting it and flipping it over as he studied her palrooves there, and then his eyes moved up to meet hers "I hate that you have to do all this without me Maybe it would be better if you spent less time therewith them"
Violet wished he’d just say it, what he reallyto help" She knew that neither of the about Dr Lee now This was about Rafe