Free Hard Silence by Mia Kay

shared.
    “I want to give it to you. For letting me hold your hand.”
    “Yeah,” he snorted. “That was really hard to do.”
    “Please accept it.”
    “If you’ll let me take you to dinner.”
    She couldn’t do that. Why couldn’t he just be happy with the picture? “You don’t have to—”
    “I want to,” he smiled as he mimicked her earlier plea.
    No. No. Thank you. I can’t. You shouldn’t be seen with me. It’s dangerous.
    He leaned closer, his hair tickling her nose. “I’ll wear a flea collar if it’ll make you more comfortable.”
    He made her feel lighter than she’d felt in years. Would it be so bad? He was leaving anyway. Maybe Wallis would never find out.
    “Yes. Thank you. I’d love to go.”
    * * *
    I have a date. Abby repeated it all the way home, each time feeling her smile widen. I have a date with Jeff. Not a security blanket, not a come-with-me-so-I-can-talk date, not an appointment. A date date . Like a normal girl.
    It wasn’t until she was home, with her borrowed clothes hung carefully in the closet, showering behind a clear curtain and keeping one eye on the doorway, that the reality hit her.
    She wasn’t a normal girl. He asked too many questions, and his warmth and his smile made her forget she shouldn’t answer. Can you imagine the conversation over dessert? I moved here twenty-three years ago when my mother married her sixth husband in eight years. Where is she? Gone. No, I don’t miss her. She’s a monster. Where’s my last stepdad? Grab that flashlight and I’ll show you.
    Maybe she could suggest they eat here. She could have dinner ready when he came to get her. She could pack a picnic, and they could hike. No, they couldn’t hike at night. Dinner here would be best.
    She sighed. It would be best if he stayed the hell away from her. She should just pin a note to her door quarantining herself. I have a crazy mother. Go away.
    But he wouldn’t. He’d ask, and she’d tell him. And then there wouldn’t be any more friends, no more home, no more gallery show, or warm hands to hold.
    And didn’t that make her sound like a selfish bitch?
    She couldn’t be selfish. Not with him.

Chapter Five
    “We have a third set of remains,” Bob said.
    “Shit,” Jeff grumbled as he sat his coffee cup on the desk and dropped into Hank’s leather chair. “Where?”
    “Alabama. Someplace called The Dismals.” Bob snorted. “That’s fitting.”
    “Note?”
    “Yeah. Tying it to a man who’s been missing since 1990. Ron Thomas. I’m emailing you what I have. The local PD will forward copies of their reports.” Bob’s chair squeaked. “How’s your manual coming, Professor?”
    “Fine.” Jeff looked at his stack of finished work. It really was fine. He was caught up, maybe even ahead of schedule. “I might be done sooner than I thought.”
    “You don’t sound so happy about that.”
    “Just tired,” Jeff lied. “I went for a hike yesterday.”
    “Hike? Dude, are we paying you to go for long walks in the woods?”
    “Screw you.” Jeff laughed. “Did you miss the ‘ahead of schedule’ part of this conversation? I’ll be back to punching a clock before you can miss me more than you already do.”
    “Well, the girls miss you,” Bob teased. “They’ve taken to hanging out in the lab bugging your techs for information. Trish Phillips almost quit over it. She couldn’t get any work done for answering your phone.”
    “Tell her to forward my calls.”
    “I did. To Amanda. She’s making up all sorts of nonsense just for laughs. Right now, everyone thinks you’re skiing in the Alps.”
    His front doorbell rang, making Jeff jump in his chair. No one ever came to the door. He looked out the window. All he could see was a horse halfway up his front steps. The bell rang again.
    “Is that the doorbell?” Bob asked. “People are stopping by? Shit. They are going to end up keeping you. What is with that place?”
    “Relax,” Jeff replied. “Apparently it’s