Page 18 of When The Noise Stops

"What?"

"Don't say that shit."

"Lila said it."

"Still."

I shook my head and finished my beer.

It didn't matter if she was thirty-three.

"She's traumatized," I said.

"She ran outside barefoot and half-dressed. Hid beside a garbage can because somebody set off fireworks."

Neither of them said anything.

"She was shaking so bad she couldn't stand."

"Grizz—"

"She fell asleep on me. A stranger. Because she was exhausted from being scared."

"You keep talking about the woman you found beside that garbage can," Hawk said.

"I spent eight hours with her today. That's not all she is, Grizz."

I shook my head.

"Still. She doesn't need my baggage."

Tiny and Hawk exchanged a look.

"Are you about to talk about Maggie?" Tiny asked quietly.

I stood up so fast my chair scraped against the concrete.

"No. Don't bring her up."

"Grizz—"

"I said no." My voice came out sharp. Harder than I meant it to.

Tiny held up his hands.

"Alright, man. I'm just saying—"

"Don't," I grabbed my keys from the table.

"Don't say anything."

I walked away before either of them could respond.

I could feel their eyes on my back as I rounded the corner and headed straight for my front door. The bikes started up a few minutes later.

I stood in my dark apartment, staring at nothing.

Maggie.