Page 174
Something in Crystal’s face collapsed.
Relief maybe, grief too. She wiped beneath both eyes and released a shaky breath. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Forgiveness doesn’t make me pleasant.”
A broken laugh escaped her. “That part Charm explained.”
“Charm talks too much.”
“She said you would say that too.”
I almost smiled.
Crystal looked at my clothes. “She also said you would refuse to dress appropriately if given any opportunity.”
“This is appropriate.”
“You’re wearing Adidas to a cocktail reception.”
“It’s a barbecue.”
“The hat is backward.”
“It works in either direction.”
Her laugh came easier this time.
For half a second, I could see how different everything might have been if Crystal had met me before deciding what I was.
She looked at my arms, the tattoos visible beneath the ridiculous powder-blue sleeves, then back at my face. “You are very different from what I expected.”
“I tend to disappoint rich people.”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“I know.”
“She would tell me you were gentle, then I would hear about something you did during a game. I saw interviews and thought you were arrogant, then Charm told me about poetry, the books you gave her, and how you read to her in bed. She told me you speak about literature like you’re arguing with the author personally.”
“That tracks.”
“I didn’t understand how all those things belonged to the same person.”
“Most people see tattoos, hear Chicano from East Harlem, and decide they solved the puzzle before I open my mouth. It saves me time.”
“I did that.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re far more intelligent than I allowed myself to consider.”
I tilted my head. “The brown kid shocked you with his vocabulary?”
Embarrassment colored her face. “I deserved that.”
“You did.”
“I’m still sorry.”
