Chapter 17: Bring a Gift

Nolan's POV

Delaney was waiting beside my car on level three of the hospital garage at seven in the morning.

She wore sunglasses and flat shoes, and she had no lipstick on.

I had worked twelve hours, and I wanted my bed.

"Don't walk away," she said. "Please. Five minutes."

"You have two."

She took off the sunglasses.

Her eyes were red, and her mascara had been wiped off badly.

"He's different since the cafeteria," she said. "He answers his phone in the hall. He has a second charger in the car."

I said nothing.

"Last night I asked him about the wedding ring on that baker's hand," she said. "He laughed at me for ten minutes."

"A ring."

"You know what I mean." Her voice cracked. "Is she really his wife, Nol?"

I looked at her for a long time.

Four years of her toothbrush next to mine, and I couldn't find one thing in her face that I knew.

"Why ask me?" I said.

"Because you don't lie."

"You never noticed that when it counted."

She flinched, and then she tried again.

"He asked for a copy of my passport," she said. "For the honeymoon. He says it's a surprise."

The ticket on the black phone had said one passenger.

I kept my face still, because Minnie had made me practice in her kitchen.

"What do you want from me, Delaney?"

"Tell me I'm not stupid."

I let that sit in the cold air of the garage.

"No," I said.

"Nolan."

"I'm not going to say it, because it's not my job anymore."

She laughed, and it came out wet.

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