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No, he could tell So could the rest of her fa to see her, she’d distanced herself over the past few months

“Tell me, what the cops have done? Where are they with your case? Are they staying on top of it because I can speak with thehtened his spine as though preparing to posture for the police

“Whoa there, speedy” Chloe held up the hand not wrapped around her coffee “Take a breath I do not need you to speak with the cops”

Mostly because there was nothing to speak with theiven theation to a brick ithin otten a completely different tale

“You sure, sis? You don’t have to do this all alone” His half glare half scoas full of disappointment “You don’t have to push your family away” As he spoke, a yellow lock of hair fell in front of his eyes

There was the heart of the issue “I’m not, Scott But I’m an adult And I can handle it onso junkie “Besides, he’s been arrested Trial is in a few months” By then Scott would be off in so the world and unable to butt in She sipped fro; the coffee not nearly as bitter as her lies

“And it was someone you’d dated?” He shoved his hair back in place in a move that appeared frustrated With the errant hair or with her?

“Mm-hmm” Sounds were easier to lie with than words, but Scott was a trained interrogator Wouldn’t take row suspicious Chloe forced herself to look him in the eye “We went out a few tih”

“Fuck” He scratched his bearded chin Normally, the military didn’t allow facial hair, but with special ops, they were often required to blend in with the culture, so those guys frequently sported facial hair Or so Scott infor psycho, Clo Please tell uys you meet now”

His expression was pained For her He’d suffered because she did And because he was too far away to come comfort her and kick someone’s ass That’s just who Scott was He took care of everyone he knew and had a protective streak ten“Um, yeah, sure I’m very careful”

Lying to him made her stoine a single scenario where so and why Even others who’d been in a si position didn’t react as she did She’d rather lie than see shock and disgust reflected back at her

He stared at her, clearly not believing her “Don’t lie to me, Clo”

Shit Why the hell did he have to be so observant? “I, uh—”

His brow furrowed “You’re not going out at all, are you? Not dating? Not even hanging out with your friends?”

Well…he wasn’t wrong, per se She wasn’t actually dating and had pushedinvitations But how the hell was she supposed to explain to Scott the only tihts, so to speak? Leaving the house wasn’t the issue; she could drive around in her car all day It was being close to people Other ainst her or try to touch her Men who ht appear normal on the outside, but hoas she supposed to knohat lurked beneath the surface? One of the men who’d kidnapped her had looked totally nor, but the other could have been her bank teller for all she knew

She alrocery store without losing her shit, but she had no probleers back to a hotel room for sex

Jesus, she needed therapy

Big time

But that wasn’t an option Theher story to anyone He’d pro or whatever it ould take care of the situation for her So, she’d lied to the cops, lied to her family, and avoided therapy so there wasn’t anyone who could report the truth to the cops Lying to a therapist was an option but seeh, if she were honest, she didn’t think she’d have gone anyway She was too ee her deep dark secret Even to a paid professional who’d probably heard it all