Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington Read Free Book Online

probably in his early twenties – and his presence packed a punch. Trouble and attitude radiated from him. And there was something … more. In his eyes. They were startling: dark blue and intense, with a depth you didn’t normally see. Eyes that could too easily see through someone.
    I set my shoulders and got ready to deny any accusations. But he just gave me an up-and-down look I couldn’t read – other than to know it wasn’t flattering – and shoved a handful of crumpled scripts towards me.
    ‘How long?’ he asked, his full lips set in a straight line.
    I gave him a tight smile as I sifted through over a dozen scripts, more than a few for heavy-duty medications. That explained the aggressive, defensive attitude: drug dealer.
    ‘These are going to take a while,’ I told him. ‘Since there are so many and they’re not all in the one name.’ Hint: I know what you’re doing. ‘The pharmacist will need to see ID and call it through for approval.’ After which we’ll call the police.
    I kept a firm hold of the scripts, expecting him to snatch them and make a run for it. But he simply shrugged, leaned against the counter and folded his arms.
    ‘Just call the Roxbury Medical Clinic and give them the prescription codes and my ID details. They’ll verify.’ He slipped a driver’s licence out of his wallet and tossed it on the counter before narrowing his eyes at me. ‘How long?’
    This guy was an ass. And thankfully I wasn’t in Wellesley today; I didn’t have to behave. I sucked in a breath and was about to tell him to take a hike when Denise came back from her break.
    ‘Ethan!’ she said, looking delighted. ‘What are you doing here?’
    Drug guy shrugged, sending me a sly look. ‘Being interrogated.’
    Denise looked at me, the wad of scripts in one hand, phone in my other, and smiled. ‘It’s okay, Sabine. Ethan works at the long-stay clinic. They have weekly scripts, but usually not till Monday.’ She turned to Ethan, closing the distance in a few steps. ‘I haven’t seen you around in a while. How are you?’ She squeezed his arm tenderly.
    ‘Brilliant.’ His voice dripped with sarcasm.
    Denise just nodded as if he wasn’t being a total jerk and took the scripts from my hand. ‘I’ll take care of them, Sabine.’
    I shot a look at Ethan, who now seemed to be enjoying himself, just as Mom emerged from her pigeon-hole office and called out, ‘Sabine, can you do the dry-cleaning and coffee run?’
    ‘Yeah, cause I can really carry all that,’ I answered. But Mom had already closed the door, forgetting my broken wrist. End-of-month accounts can do that.
    Denise looked up from typing script details into the computer. ‘Ethan, why don’t you give Sabine a hand? You don’t mind, do you? I’ll get these sorted while you’re out.’
    Ethan frowned, looking annoyed that I’d suddenly become his problem.
    My jaw clicked to the side in anger. I picked up my notebook, intending to stuff it in my backpack, but instead I accidentally knocked the bag off the opposite side of the counter with mycast. The unzipped backpack and all its contents – including my notebook – landed right at Ethan’s feet.
    ‘Shit,’ I exclaimed as Ethan bent down to pick up my things. I scrambled to get around the counter, but by the time I got to him he was already straightening up, my backback in one hand, my open notebook in the other.
    He passed the bag over, face blank.
    ‘Thanks,’ I said, putting out my other hand for the notebook. I was sure he must have seen the list and wanted to kick myself for using a black marker.
    He handed it over calmly. I shoved it back in my bag while he bent down again to pick up something from under the counter. My heart pounded in my ears. It was a box of pills.
    He looked at me curiously. ‘Yours?’
    At least I’d had enough foresight to put the pills in a generic white box. He couldn’t know what they were – if he asked, I’d shut him down by saying they were for