Settling Up Read Online Free PDF Page B

scared off. She must’ve decided she didn’t have to pee that badly. I shrugged and got back to business.
    My fingers massaged the burned area. The cool water seemed to be doing its job. I leaned into the counter and closed my eyes, soaking it all up (somewhat literally, I suppose).
    That’s when the door opened again.
    “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to wash your hair somewhere else.” A deep voice rumbled through the empty tiled room. “If you need a place to clean up, there are some other options in town. I can help you —”
    I snapped my head up, flicking water everywhere, slapped my wet hair out of my face, and then pawed at my watery eyes so I could see.
    “Lauren?” Mack’s voice echoed too-loudly around me and I winced.
    I peeked out of one eye and then slowly opened both as the water drained enough for me to see (well, as much as I could see without my glasses). My neck felt immediately hot. I was sure the red rash was currently spreading down toward my chest.
    “Oh, hey Mack!” I laughed and leaned nonchalantly on the counter and faced where the blurry outline of Mack stood at the entrance of the women’s bathroom, probably not wanting to venture too far in. Water dripped down my nose, splashing loudly on the floor beneath me.
    “What are you —? Some lady thought there was a homeless woman…” He shook his head (at least, I think he did. I saw some movement).
    “I… uh… well… It’s kinda a long story.” I cringed.
    He chuckled, a sound that immediately loosened the tightness in my shoulders and sent a warm tingle through my chest.
    “Lucky for you, I’ve got some time on my hands.” He paused. “You want me to come in there?”
    Just hearing the concern in Mack’s voice made something in me snap. Maybe it was the fact that I resembled more of a drowned rat than a woman. Maybe it was the fact that the water drops plopping all over me and onto the floor wouldn’t relent. Maybe it was the fact that this guy was so nice, even when he thought I might be homeless, he wanted to help, not just kick me out.
    Whatever it was, it unleashed everything I’d been dealing with the last few days. I broke into sobs and sunk down into a wet heap on the floor of the bathroom. And as the cool tile of the floor began to pull all the heat from my body, I felt a strong arm wrap around my shoulders.

5
    The square root of the problem
    “ H ey , it’s okay. You’re alright.” Mack’s voice wrapped around me almost as tight as his arm as I bawled.
    At first, I’d tried to say a few things, explain, but they just came out all slobbery and incoherent, so I just put my head down and let everything out that (apparently) needed to come out.
    Mack’s hand rubbed up and down my back as the tears began to slow to a small trickle. He leaned up and grabbed a paper towel, holding it out to me. I patted my face with it before blowing my nose and tossing it toward the garbage a few feet away. I missed and the snotty thing bounced onto the floor. Figured.
    I let out a squeak of laughter and shook my head when Mack moved to stand, to go get it. I put a hand up to keep him in place and stood up, grabbing my own snot rag and placing it in the bin. Then I swiped my glasses from the counter top and glanced quickly at my reflection in the mirror (thank the gods of good makeup choices that I had gone without mascara or I would have been looking like some sort of Goth queen right about then) before sitting back down, this time facing Mack. His blueish gray eyes held me as his jaw tightened in concern.
    I sniffed and then said, “I’m so sorry. I’m not —”
    “Don’t apologize, Lauren. Really it’s okay. I’m just worried about you.” His forehead creased as he watched me.
    I swatted the air in front of me about to make light of the situation, but I stopped, realized that I wanted to tell him everything, that I didn’t want to pretend like everything was okay. I pulled in a deep breath and as I let it