Just a Little (5-8) Read Online Free PDF Page B

insulting Luke. I was fairly certain the only reason the manager even let me back in the building was because I was with Detective Bruno, one of the most loved and respected men in Oakland.
    I hadn’t heard from Kara since I called off our amateur investigation twenty minutes earlier. Soon after I placed my food order, I sent her a quick message and told her to stand down. I hoped she’d taken the advice, but part of me wondered what she’d learned about Luke.
    Just as I checked my phone for the hundredth time, waiting to hear from her or my boyfriend, Kara slid into the chair next to mine and nodded.
    “Sorry I didn’t respond: I wanted to come over and feed you my report in person.”
    Bruno lifted his eyebrow and gave me a don’t take it to heart kind of look.
    “Okay?”
    “Luke rolled into the station around five, disappeared inside for about ten minutes, came back out, got in his car, and drove off.”
    “You didn’t follow him?” I was afraid she might have, and part of me hoped that she had.
    “Of course I did,” she said, “He ended up at an apartment here in the District. This is the address.” She slid a piece of paper to me as Bruno and I leaned in to read it.
    “That’s his place,” I said, relieved that she hadn’t found anything.
    “I figured.”
    “See, I told you there was nothing to worry about,” Bruno chimed in.
    “So, what about you?” Kara ignored him. “Did you find anything on Matt?”
    I looked at Bruno and watched as he subtly shook his head. He didn’t want me to tell Kara what I’d found, probably because I didn’t really know what it meant. It could’ve been innocent enough, but I still thought she deserved to know. Bruno, though, thought otherwise.
    “Nothing suspicious,” I finally said, knowing it was better to take his advice to heart. What good would it do for me to worry her with something I knew so little about?
    “Oh, thank God,” she placed her hand over her heart.
    “You know what I think?” Bruno asked, taking another bite. A touch of syrup spilled from the corner of his lips as he chewed. He lifted his napkin, wiped his face, and sat forward. “I think you both need to go home, call your boyfriends, and talk. Communicate . All this sneaking around… it’s unhealthy.”
    “You think we’re the problem?” Kara looked past him. “You think we’re the ones doing a bunch of unhealthy sneaking around?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then what do you call that ?”
    She nodded at the front of the diner. Bruno and I turned and watched as Luke held the door for a tall, beautiful brunette. She was the very same woman I’d seen him with at the flower shop late last week. She joined him at a table in the front, both of them laughing and talking, enjoying each other’s company.
    “Shit,” Bruno mumbled under his breath.
    “Poking holes in your theory, Detective ,” Kara poked at the air.
    Bruno watched Luke for a second and then turned back to me. “Julie,” he said, “don’t freak out, okay? Luke’s not stupid. If there was something going on, the last thing he’d do is flaunt it around town. There’s got to be more to this than what we see.”
    “You know what?” I said, tears stinging my eyes. “I’ve gotta go. I forgot I had stuff to… I’ll see you guys later,” I slid out of my chair and brushed past Kara.
    I pulled my hood up over my head and put my sunglasses on, rushing past Luke without a word… without confrontation… without an explanation. He was too caught up in conversation with her to realize that I, the girl he supposedly loved, had just walked by.
    I pushed through the diner door, letting myself outside. I stood in the freezing air for a few long minutes before turning back to look inside the large glass window. Bruno and Kara still watched from their table—watching and waiting—undoubtedly expecting me to turn back and cause a scene.
    My eyes fell on Luke.
    His shoulders were relaxed, his eyes full of hope. He laughed and