I’m sorry I got upset. You do what you need to do for school. We’ll see you over spring break. I’m so proud of you. Love you. ~Mom
Kaylee smiled at the last part. No matter how many times she told her mom she didn’t need to sign her texts, she still did. Just like the little notes she used to leave her. She typed out a quick response before heading off to take her first final.
It’s okay. Spring break for sure. Love you too.
The crumbs from her toast would have to wait until she got back to be cleaned up. She shoved the last piece in her mouth and wiped her hands on her jeans before grabbing her coat and backpack.
Her test didn’t go as well as it should have. She had a hard time concentrating. The ER doctor had told her that might happen because of the concussion. But besides being a little foggy, her mind kept wandering to Mama C. And Blayne. And the others whose names she didn’t know or couldn’t remember.
She signed off the computer at the testing center, gathered her belongings from the bored-looking proctor there to keep students from cheating, and started the long trek back to her car. I should go home and finish grading the Psych 1100 papers. She looked up at the clear sky, the sun just past its peak. It would be hours before it started to get dark. My thesis is more important than getting those papers back quickly. I should go talk to Mama C while she’s still where I can find her. Hopefully.
She’d made up her mind before she reached her car. There would be plenty of time to grade papers later, and there was no telling how long Mama C’s group would be at the viaduct. She’d hate to have to start her search all over again.
This time Kaylee parked where she’d still be able to see her car from the fire barrel. She walked with caution toward those gathered there, searching for the familiar faces from Saturday night. Heart pounding in her throat, she stopped and stared down at the bloodstained gravel. She glanced over her shoulder, paranoia gripping her chest as she half expected her attacker to be there, leering at her. She released the breath she’d been holding when she saw that no one lurked there.
Turning back to the ragtag group, she caught Blayne’s eye for a split second before he looked back down to continue his task of shoving things into his well-worn backpack. “You came back,” he called, without looking up.
“Yep.”
“How’s your head?”
She touched the still tender but healing cut held together with seven stitches. “Getting better.” She stopped several paces in front of him and looked around. “There are a lot less people here than there was the other night. Where is everyone?”
“Oh, you know, out goofing off. It’s a carefree life we homeless live.” He looked up at her, one eye nearly closed in a scowl. “What you really want to know is where Mama C is.”
“I want to know that too.” She had no idea how to respond to his obvious annoyance with her. “I just…are you…am I bugging you?”
The zipper on his pack stuck as he tried to close it. He yanked on it then cussed when it broke off in his hand. “Yeah, you kind of are.” He sighed and stood to face her. “Look, I don’t know what you think you’re going to get out of her, what you think you’ll gain by digging into her business then going back to your cozy little dorm room or whatever. Back to your safe little world where daddy’s credit card takes care of your every need. But Mama’s doing good things here, and she doesn’t talk about her past or why she’s homeless. It takes her to a dark place. And these kids need her to not be in that dark place.”
“What about you? Do you need her?” Kaylee decided to ignore his jab about her daddy’s credit card. If he only knew how hard she’d worked to get and keep scholarships so her lower-middle class parents didn’t have to worry about supporting her.
He slung his backpack across his right shoulder. “No. Not like I used to.”
“Then why are you still with her?”
“To protect her.” He stared down at Kaylee, the piercing blue of his eyes nearly knocking her to the ground. “And because she’s home to me.”
“Home?” Kaylee caught up and walked alongside him as he stepped away.
“Yeah. Home isn’t always a place. Sometimes it’s a person.”
They walked in silence, Kaylee glancing behind her as the distance from her car increased.
Blayne stopped and looked down at her. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
She shook her head, mesmerized again by the clear blue eyes peeking out from behind his straggly hair.
“Fine. Then I have some rules for you. One rule, actually. Don’t push her to tell you about her past.”
“Okay.” She nodded to reaffirm her sincerity. “Okay. I won’t.”
He stared at her for a few seconds then continued walking.
“Wait.” Kaylee looked back at her car again. “Where are you going?”
He turned and walked backward, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you want to know?”
“Can I buy you lunch?” she blurted out, warmth flooding her cheeks as she clamped her mouth shut on the words she hadn’t meant to utter.
“Lunch?”
“Um, yeah. I…I’d like to ask you some more questions.”
“For your thesis? I thought you needed Mama C for that?”
“She’s the main focus, but the paper will involve your whole group.” She jerked her head back toward her car. “Come on. We can go wherever you want—on a poor college student’s budget.”
Blayne licked his lips. “Aren’t you scared to be alone with me?”
“Should I be?” She probably should be. Why wasn’t she? Was it because he’d saved her a couple of nights
