Noticing the way she kept dodging his gaze, Justin lingered in the doorway of the bathroom, calling her name. “Edith.”

“Yeah?” she replied, but didn’t look up, her eyes fixed stubbornly on the floor.

A sly smile yed at the corners of Justin’s mouth. “What’s wrong? Can’t look at me?”

Edith pressed her lips together. There was no way she’d let him get the upper hand. She lifted her chin and met his eyes head–on–though, try as she might, her gaze kept flickering downward.

“Where are you looking, exactly?”

Catching herself, Edith quickly forced her eyes back up. “Nowhere. I was just checking to see if you wrapped that towel tight enough. Wouldn’t want it falling off and getting a cold or something.”

She wasn’t sure if everyone got this chatty when they felt guilty, but she definitely did.

Justin couldn’t stop theughter tugging at his lips. It took him a moment topose himself before he finally replied, “Alright, Mrs. Hawksley, I hear you. I promise I won’t

catch a cold.”

Honestly, with the way summers got in Northcrest, if someone managed to catch a cold just because their towel slipped, it’d be a miracle–or maybe a ghost story.

Once Justin’s silhouette disappeared through the bathroom door, Edith let out a frustrated sigh and sshed the water in the tub, berating herself for not being able to control her wandering eyes. That had been a close call.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Justin let his smile unfurl, no longer bothering to hide olliit. /li/ol

Adorable–absolutely adorable.

A few seconds of quiet passed before the phone started ringing again.

Justin nced at the charger, spotted Edith’s phone, and picked it up. The number was unfamiliar.

These days, mystery numbers were almost always scams or telemarketers.

He answered anyway.

A man’s voice–familiar, unmistakable–came through the line.

i1/2 /i

16:40

Justin knew that voice. He knew it too well.

“Edith, I heard you’ve been picking up some art gigstely. Is it to support that useless husband of yours? How did you end up in such a mess? I told you, you should’ve listened to me and not married that man. I told you I’d take care of your dad’s situation, didn’t I? Now look what you’ve done. You’ve ruined your future!”

The man on the other end just kept ranting.

Justin’s patience wore thin. He cleared his throat pointedly. “Ahem.”

At the sound of a man’s voice, Beckett immediately fell silent, his tone suddenly wary. “Who is this?”

“Who do you think it is, thiste at night, answering her phone for her? Why don’t you use what little brainpower you’ve got and take a guess?”

The warmth Justin had shown in the bathroom vanished, reced by a chill in his

voice.

When Beckett realized he was talking to Edith’s husband, his irritation spiked. “What kind of man are you, anyway? Living off a woman’s money? If you’re that desperate, I can transfer you some cash myself!”

A cold, razor–thin smile cut across Justin’s lips. “Sure, go ahead–add me, send the money. But after that, ido /ius both a favor and stop bothering Edith. Whatever you think you’re doing, it’s not right, and you know it.”

Beckett snorted. “Ha! What do iyou /iknow? Give me your number, I’ll add you right now. But don’t you dare try to y both sides–if you take my money, you leave Edith alone, got it?”

Justin recited his number without hesitation. “Fine. Go ahead.”