Page 22 of Drive
“What’s up?” Holicroaked.
“It happenedagain.”
“What happened again? Please tell me the roof did not leak yesterday, Rain. I do not think I coulddeal—”
“No, no. The house is fine,” she reassured. “I mean the Uberdriver.”
Silence.
“Another Uber driver asked for your number?!” Holi sounded incredulous. She might have even laughed, but it quickly turned into acough.
“Uh, no. But is that really so hard to believe?” Rainey asked, feeling a littlebruised.
“No, it’s justfunny—”
“I mean, guys hit on you all the time when you’re not with Ash, and except for your darker hair and complexion, we look alot—”
“Rain, what happened?” Holiinterrupted.
Halting her insecure rant, Rainey took a deep breath and blew it out. “Jacques, the Uber-driver guy, picked me up from the hospital… and I think he just asked meout.”
“You think? You’re not sure if he asked you out? Did you say yes? Please tell me you said yes,Rainey.”
“Well, it wasn’t… I didn’t… Icouldn’t—”
“Rain, what do I have to do to get you out of the house? Change thelocks?”
The words stung. And it wasn’t so much the words but the frustration behind them. She was stunnedsilent.
I should have calledMom.
Of course, as soon as Melinda Hagen — formerly Melinda Reeves — heard that the first guy to ask Rainey out in two years was a musician, she’d tell her to run like hell the other way. Which was probably what she woulddo.
At least, what she shoulddo.
But it wasn’t what she wanted to do. And that, she admitted to herself, was why she’d called Holi instead of hermom.
“He’s a musician,” sheblurted.
Silenceagain.
And then, “Oh.”
Rainey rolled her eyes to the ceiling, not trusting her voice since the first guy to ask her out in two years was a musician, and the reason he was the first guy to ask her out in two years was because she only left the house alone to ride her bike to the grocery store or take the bus to the library, and even those outings took a day’s worth of courage to master. And while she was able to leave the house with Holi and Ash to go out to dinner or the movies or — rarely — to a club, she was so anxious to get back home that — according to Holi — she looked“about as chill as a junkie in a trafficstop.”
“Sorry, Rain,” Holimurmured.
Rainey swallowed hard. “I know I rely on you too much, Holi. I knowthat—”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Her voice softened. “We’re sisters, and I loveyou—”
“I know you do, but I ask for toomu—”
“I just don’t think it’s good for you. You haven’t healed. You haven’t made strides in along—”
“Holi, I can’t talk about this,” she swore in a strangledvoice.
“Rain, John Lee would want youto—”
