It's Not About You by Olivia Reid Read Free Book Online Page A

Forever fighting against the bad guy."  
    I gave him a worried stare over the papers. "You okay? That sounded like a superhero speech."  
    His laugh was cute. "I'm okay. Sam's parents are taking her home, by the way. To North Carolina."  
    "So that's where they moved." Tanae had mentioned that Sam's family had moved away for her mother's health and that Sam was going to stay in the house. I just never knew how twisted, crazy, mixed up it wall was.  
    "Yeah. We're still looking for the boyfriend but he's in the wind. So's the brother."  
    "You're not looking for the brother about—"
    "Oh. No. Her parents asked us to find him. So as a personal apology to them for what happened to their daughter, I said I'd look into it."  
    Yep. That was Detective Kevin Taylor. Good guy extraordinare.  
    He put a hand on the papers. "These have the same terms as before. He's not allowed within a hundred feet of you or within a mile of your house. Now, I can't stop him from coming to town—doesn't work that way. And if Tanae wants to see him, she can leave your house to do it. Just sign and I'll file."  
    I glanced over them, having memorized my first restraining order. It was like he said. I signed it and handed him the copies. He folded them up, slipped them into an envelope and stuffed them into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.  
    And suddenly there was an awkward moment. He stared at me. I tried to stare back but drummed my hands on the table. "So…how's cop shop?"  
    "You look good, Grace."  
    "You said that this morning."  
    "And I meant it. You didn't answer me about seeing anyone."  
    The awkward meter increased by three ticks. "No. Not really. Just me and Kyle. After the divorce was final, I took a hiatus from the dating scene. Too much hassle."  
    "So…are you still on hiatus?"
    And two more ticks. I liked Kevin. I really did. And even though we tried making a go at a romantic relationship during my divorce, I never felt the spark. That little something I had a vague memory of from my youth. The thing that made two people want to screw each other's brains out.  
    I needed the spark. I felt that somewhere inside, I needed it to stay alive. To still feel like a woman, and not a mom, or eventually—oh Hell no—a grandmother.  
    "Yeah. I am. Now don't look like that. I really haven't had time. Not with Tanae in school, worrying about bills, and now this job. I want to simplify my life for a while."  
    That seemed to brighten his mood a little, though it made me feel like shit. I didn't have any prospects. I mean, who wants to date a woman past her prime? And what I didn't admit was that I'd been thinking of Michael all day, and how naggingly annoying it was to know he thought I lived with a guy.  
    Well I did live with a guy. Just not a guy that liked girls.  
    Why hadn't Tom specified that? Wait…did anyone here even know my room mate was gay? Oh no…did they all think Kyle and I were a couple?  
    "Hey," I said suddenly and I had no idea where my mouth was going. "If you're not busy for Thanksgiving, you're more then welcome to join us. It'll just be immediate friends and family."  
    "Oh I…maybe. I have my obligatory engagement with the ex and the kids. Did you know Josh is graduating high school this year? Or rather, next year. June."  
    "No I didn't!" I smiled at him He had three kids. I had one. He didn't get custody, just visitation. I couldn't imagine what kind of hell that had to be not to see them on a regular basis. But his ex, Margo, lived in Alabama, and he got over there when he could. "What about Jennifer and Jordan?"  
    Brought to you by the letter J, and the number 3.  
    It'd been Margo's idea to over stimulate the J.  
    "The twins are the twins. They get nastier to each other every year. I thought twins were supposed to be inseparable? These two fight like cats and dogs."  
    "Maybe fraternal twins are different? They're both how old now?"  
    "Sixteen…going on forty." He moved