moved straight onto his best friend. How could you do it Stephanie? How could you put Dominic through everything you did? And now you’re standing here, without so much as a tear, without so much as any sign of grief, no indication whatsoever you even felt anything for him. Did he mean so little to you, Stephanie?”
***
“Stephanie?” Gena questioned, noticing the battle of emotions on Stephanie’s face before she carefully hid them. Frustration welled inside her. Stephanie was always so careful around everyone. She didn’t ever let anyone see what she was really feeling inside. Shaking her head, she wondered what had happened in her friend’s past to make her so wary of anyone getting to close. It was almost as if she put a mental brick wall around herself and refused to let anyone get close enough to penetrate.
Gena tried her hardest to break down those walls at Dominic’s funeral. She’d fought with Stephanie, remembering the bitter taste of her angry words as she threw them at her. She’d thrown empty accusations at Stephanie, driven more from grief than from truth. She’d rained accusation after accusation down on her, determined to break through the barriers just for some indication her friend was grieving like everyone else was.
She grimaced, recalling how Stephanie had given as good as she’d got, accusing her of being in love with Dominic. She’d failed in her attempt to break down Stephanie’s walls. Instead Stephanie had further distanced herself from everyone and within days of Dominic’s funeral she was gone. She’d quit her job and left L.A without a word to any of them. Gena couldn’t help but wonder if she had been to blame.
“What do you want Gena?” Stephanie repeated firmly.
“Now Angel’s been laid to rest, I suppose you’ll be heading back to the rabbit hole you disappeared into after Dominic died,” Gena mused, casually taking a sip of her coffee and watching Stephanie’s gaze become shuttered at the mention of Dominic.
“Actually, I thought I’d stay here for a while,” Stephanie answered with a calmness she didn’t feel.
Gena scowled at her, not liking the answer she was given even thought she expected it after her conversation with Jesse.
“Don’t you have a job waiting for you back home? Won’t your husband expect you to go back with him?” Gena asked, running a hand through her short, auburn hair and trying to hide her frustration.
Stephanie casually shrugged one slim shoulder. “I’m taking a hiatus from work right now, and Leigh is none of your concern,” Stephanie said, adding sweetly, “But thank you for asking.”
“Damn it Stephanie, I’m serious. Go home. Forget whatever you’re plotting. Just go home. Leave it up to the professionals to find Angel’s killer,” Gena snapped, slamming her fist onto the table. She ignored the startled looks of nearby customers, her eyes narrowing angrily at Stephanie’s nonchalant behavior.
Stephanie quirked an eyebrow at Gena’s explosive reaction. “Are you trying to scare me, Detective Evans? If so, you should know me better than that. I don’t scare easily, and I’m not going anywhere until I’m good and ready.”
“I’ll have you deported,” Gena threatened.
Stephanie laughed harshly at the obvious bluff. “I’m American. You can’t deport me.”
“Then I’ll arrest you for interfering with my case,” Gena said bluntly. Watching Stephanie casually study her fingernails, she felt anger bubbling to the surface.
“No, you won’t,” Stephanie said with a smug smirk.
“What makes you think I won’t?” Gena bluffed.
Leaning forward, Stephanie said confidently, “You need me.”
“Like a hole in the head,” Gena grumbled, watching Stephanie throw back her head and laugh huskily. “I’m so glad to see I’m entertaining you,” she said sarcastically.
Stephanie smiled brilliantly at Gena, before wrinkling her nose in disgust when Gena pulled out a packet of Marlboro’s
***
“Stephanie?” Gena questioned, noticing the battle of emotions on Stephanie’s face before she carefully hid them. Frustration welled inside her. Stephanie was always so careful around everyone. She didn’t ever let anyone see what she was really feeling inside. Shaking her head, she wondered what had happened in her friend’s past to make her so wary of anyone getting to close. It was almost as if she put a mental brick wall around herself and refused to let anyone get close enough to penetrate.
Gena tried her hardest to break down those walls at Dominic’s funeral. She’d fought with Stephanie, remembering the bitter taste of her angry words as she threw them at her. She’d thrown empty accusations at Stephanie, driven more from grief than from truth. She’d rained accusation after accusation down on her, determined to break through the barriers just for some indication her friend was grieving like everyone else was.
She grimaced, recalling how Stephanie had given as good as she’d got, accusing her of being in love with Dominic. She’d failed in her attempt to break down Stephanie’s walls. Instead Stephanie had further distanced herself from everyone and within days of Dominic’s funeral she was gone. She’d quit her job and left L.A without a word to any of them. Gena couldn’t help but wonder if she had been to blame.
“What do you want Gena?” Stephanie repeated firmly.
“Now Angel’s been laid to rest, I suppose you’ll be heading back to the rabbit hole you disappeared into after Dominic died,” Gena mused, casually taking a sip of her coffee and watching Stephanie’s gaze become shuttered at the mention of Dominic.
“Actually, I thought I’d stay here for a while,” Stephanie answered with a calmness she didn’t feel.
Gena scowled at her, not liking the answer she was given even thought she expected it after her conversation with Jesse.
“Don’t you have a job waiting for you back home? Won’t your husband expect you to go back with him?” Gena asked, running a hand through her short, auburn hair and trying to hide her frustration.
Stephanie casually shrugged one slim shoulder. “I’m taking a hiatus from work right now, and Leigh is none of your concern,” Stephanie said, adding sweetly, “But thank you for asking.”
“Damn it Stephanie, I’m serious. Go home. Forget whatever you’re plotting. Just go home. Leave it up to the professionals to find Angel’s killer,” Gena snapped, slamming her fist onto the table. She ignored the startled looks of nearby customers, her eyes narrowing angrily at Stephanie’s nonchalant behavior.
Stephanie quirked an eyebrow at Gena’s explosive reaction. “Are you trying to scare me, Detective Evans? If so, you should know me better than that. I don’t scare easily, and I’m not going anywhere until I’m good and ready.”
“I’ll have you deported,” Gena threatened.
Stephanie laughed harshly at the obvious bluff. “I’m American. You can’t deport me.”
“Then I’ll arrest you for interfering with my case,” Gena said bluntly. Watching Stephanie casually study her fingernails, she felt anger bubbling to the surface.
“No, you won’t,” Stephanie said with a smug smirk.
“What makes you think I won’t?” Gena bluffed.
Leaning forward, Stephanie said confidently, “You need me.”
“Like a hole in the head,” Gena grumbled, watching Stephanie throw back her head and laugh huskily. “I’m so glad to see I’m entertaining you,” she said sarcastically.
Stephanie smiled brilliantly at Gena, before wrinkling her nose in disgust when Gena pulled out a packet of Marlboro’s
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