Damage Read Online Free PDF Page B

unpredictable zigzags and generally getting in the way of everyone walking past.“We have a lot of the same friends though.”
    â€œYour friends would tell him where you are?” I shook my head. “That’s awful, Ronnie. Do they know what happened? I mean, how he treated you?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She slipped her cell phone back into her purse. “I need a coffee. Can you watch Zach for a minute?”
    â€œUh, sure. Yeah.” I wished she wouldn’t keep shutting me out.
    â€œYou want anything?”
    I shook my head. “I’m good.”
    Ronnie disappeared into a Starbucks, and I kept both my eyes on Zach, which was a challenge. He moved fast. When he ran past me, I reached out and tapped his shoulder. “Hey, buddy. Where are you off to?”
    He gave me a smile, showing two rows of tiny pearl-white teeth. “Theo,” he said.
    â€œHey, buddy. You said my name!” I grinned at him. He was pretty cute when he wasn’t crying. “So what do you think, Zach? Does a guy like me have a chance with someone as gorgeous as your mom?” I sounded like Han Solo. You think a guy like me and a princess like her...
    â€œRaisins,” Zach said.
    I sighed, looked under the stroller and came up empty-handed. “I don’t know, kiddo. It doesn’t look too good for either of us.”
    Finally Ronnie returned, a coffee in one hand and a paper bag in the other. “Zach, I got you a muffin.” She broke off a piece and handed it to him. “So, guess what, Theo? They’re hiring at the Starbucks.”
    I frowned. “You’re looking for a job?”
    â€œI can’t,” she said. “I have Zach. But I thought you might be.”
    â€œAt Starbucks?” I shook my head. “Wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
    â€œRight by Universal Studios though. You might meet all kinds of movie people.”
    â€œAll kinds of tourists, more like.” I shook my head. “I don’t know, Ronnie. I didn’t get the impression Joelle was up for having us stay long term.” I hadn’t thought very far ahead—actually, I hadn’t thought , period—but I probably had to go home at some point.
    A road trip was one thing. A permanent move to LA was something else altogether.
    Ronnie’s forehead crinkled above her sunglasses. “Her place is pretty small.”
    â€œIt’s a disaster zone,” I said bluntly.
    â€œYeah.” She bit her bottom lip.
    â€œI know. But I’m broke, so...”
    â€œSo you want me to get a job?” I pushed back a wave of anger. “Is that why you brought me along?”
    â€œNo! I mean, I hadn’t really thought everything through.”
    â€œNo kidding,” I said. My voice came out harsher than I’d intended. “You just took off to LA with no money at all. Brilliant plan, Ronnie.”
    â€œYou didn’t have to come,” she flashed back. “Anyway, it’s not like you have money either.”
    â€œYeah, but that’s different. I don’t have a kid to look after.” I looked down at Zach, who was solemnly chewing his muffin and looking up at us. “You can’t just couch-surf around Hollywood with a baby.”
    â€œI’m not going to,” she said. “I just haven’t figured out all the details yet.”
    It was weird—she was five years older than me, and no one had ever accused me of being unusually mature, but right now I felt like I was the older one. “You said Joelle had connections in the movie industry,” I reminded her. “You said she’d be able to get me a job.”
    â€œYeah. I know.” She took her sunglasses off, and her eyes were shining with tears. “I’m sorry. I’m messed up, Theo. All this stuff with Zach’s dad...”
    I put an arm around her awkwardly. To my surprise, she leaned her head