JJ's biggest flaw was his recklessness, and his bad ideas. Honestly, that didn't seem that bad to Bexley.
Rafe's biggest flaw? Jealousy. Pure, uncontrolled jealousy.
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tw: heavy toxicity
"Bexley James, did you leave this light on all night?"
Bexley opened her eyes slowly. Susan was beside her, turning off the lamp by her beside. Bexley groaned, feeling herself still half asleep.
Susan glanced down at the girl, and noticed the phone placed beside the pillow. She sighed. "Were you on the phone all night too? Talking with that boy?"
Bexley finally looked over at her, yawning as sleep still called to her.
"What?" she asked, grumbling.
"You can tell me," Susan said. "I'm not gonna be mad at you for just talking to him."
Bexley glanced at her phone. "On the phone?" A smile fell on her face. "Oh. Yeah, yeah. I was just telling him you were gonna adopt me."
The older woman let out a low laugh.
"I assume he wasn't too thrilled," Susan said, as she went to Bexley's window, opening the curtains to let some light in.
"No, he was happy for me."
"I'll believe you if you say so. Go ahead and come in the kitchen when you're all the way up. I'll make some breakfast." She paused at Bexley's doorway, saying, "Also, in the future, I don't want you to be on the phone with Cameron too late. You need your sleep, Bex."
Bexley stilled. Because she realized, for an instant, she hadn't been thinking of Rafe at all.
She just thought of JJ.
JJ was the one she was on the phone with. JJ was the one she fell asleep on the phone with. Not Rafe...who was technically not her boyfriend, but spiritually very much her boyfriend.
"Shit..." she breathed.
She got dressed right away. She stepped into the kitchen, where Susan was making eggs.
Susan was already in her uniform. She stood at the stove as she said, "I have to head out soon, okay? I won't be back until late."
Bexley understood the harsh hours of the police officers in town, especially the Sheriff.
"That's okay," she told Susan, taking a seat at the table.
"I want you to know it won't keep being like this." Susan scraped some eggs off a pan and onto a plate, and set them in front of Bexley. "I've requested half-days instead of full-days at the station. I'll still be on call all day, but I'll be here."
"You don't have to do that," Bexley told her. "I mean, you're the Sheriff." She didn't need to take time off for Bexley.
"I don't mind a little extra time at home now that I won't just be by myself."
Bexley smiled a bit. She noticed the carton of milk on the table had a frog on it. She sighed. "I miss Lily."
Susan turned off the stove. "Who the hell is Lily?"
