Page 97 of The Next Lie

“Never start a sentence with nothing. That’s just like fine. It always means ‘something.’”

Ever takes my elbow and guides me toward the side door. “We need to get to Noir.”

“Do we?”

“Yes.”

“Are we working today?”

“For a few hours.”

Shiloh steps closer, still smiling too easily. “A little routine will do you good.”

“I hate when people say things will do me good.”

“Most people hate things that are good for them.”

“Most people also hate being manhandled.” I look down at Ever’s hand on my elbow.

Ever grunts. “Then don’t make it so tempting.”

Ever opens the door before I can answer that, and we head into the damp Louisiana morning.

Noir is quiet when we arrive. Too quiet for a bar, though I suppose bars are allowed to have mornings. Sonny is already there, perched on a stool with her hair piled on top of her head and a stack of invoices in front of her like she is pretending she knows what to do with them.

She looks up when I walk in. Her face brightens. “She’s alive.”

“Barely.”

“Sex alive or trauma alive?”

Ever stops behind me. “Do y’all tell each other everything?”

Shiloh coughs.

I give Sonny an innocent smile. “Sure we do.”

She grins into her cup.

For the next few hours, I do what passes for work while everyone around me is distracted and no one has the decency to admit it. I wipe down tables that are already clean. I restock napkins. I count limes. I make a list of bottles for Ever and then recopy it because my handwriting looks like I wrote it during an earthquake.

Ever checks his phone too often.

Shiloh disappears into the office twice and comes out both times with his jaw tighter.

Nash never comes in from wherever he has stationed himself.

By lunchtime, I am done pretending not to notice. I set a basket of clean bar towels on the counter. “What the hell is going on?”

Ever looks up from his phone. “Nothing.”

Sonny swivels slowly on her stool. “Oh, that was so bad.”

I point at her. “Thank you.”

Ever slides his phone into his pocket. “You and Sonny should get out for a while.”

I blink. “I’m sorry?”