"What can I say? People like to watch. If they're willing to pay, why not let them?"
. . .
Margeaux is a bad girl with good girl intentions. All she wants is a steady home with whatever family she has left. With no GED, no credit, and no bed to slee...
Walking out of the room with my plastic bag, I see him. He stands with his hands in the pockets of his slim, black jeans. His hair hangs loose from his ponytail and falls into his face. He nibbles his lip to fight his smile, making me do the same.
"Go-go," he greets me. "You haven't changed one bit."
That probably isn't a good thing. "Jamie."
I drape my arms around his neck and press myself against him in a hug. Wrapping his arms around my middle, he pulls me closer and grips me tight. I press a kiss to his cheek and linger, breathing in his familiar scent. He always smelled like the fresh, morning air of the beach, even before he lived on one. He feels like home, even after all this time.
He was my favorite person in the world and I was his. We were close—closer than most people will ever be. We shared everything; two homes, a boyfriend, the parts of our past we pretend didn't happen.
He will always be my bad boy and I will never be his good girl.
"I'll pay you back as soon as I can," I tell him.
"No you won't." He gives me a cheeky grin and takes the plastic bag from my grasp. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
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The engine of Jamie's classic muscle car roars as we speed up the highway, the black paint gleaming under the California sun. Staring at him as he drives, I realize how much he has changed since the last time I saw him. New car, new haircut, new tattoos ... I want to ask him about his Hollywood lifestyle but I know almost nothing about it.
He's come so far, and yet, behind the bleached teeth and fancy clothes, he's still my Jamie. He'll always be the little boy who hides all of his pain behind an infectious smile. As much as I wish something could change that, nothing ever will.
His blue eyes glance over at me. "You stole an inhaler?" he asks me with a smirk.
"Yeah," my mouth spread into a guilty smile.
"Girl, I was over here thinkin' you stole a car or somethin'." I love the last bit of twang he can't seem to suppress.
"A car? Please. I wish my life was that exciting."
"You know they have cameras," he laughs. "Could you not have stolen some of the good shit while you were at it?"
Mom's meds are so expensive. I told her I'd take over Lily's to help her out, but she's not getting better. There's not much else I can do until I get my shit together. "I know, right? Make it worth it." I trace the outlines of the images on his arm, distancing myself from my words.
"What? Getting to see me isn't enough reason to do crime?" he teases, making me laugh. He grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine. My breath hitches. "Was it for Lily?"
I hesitate before answering. "Yeah."
"Is your mom ...?" he doesn't finish his question.
