Winters (Book Five)

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

'What do I need to bribe you with to make this stack of bills go away?' I text Lyle a few days later. I have collected all of our bills for the month and I am too exhausted to try and sort through this by myself. Lyle and I have not stopped prepping for the expose at all this week.

'My favorite bottle of whiskey would do the trick. Devyn wants to come with,' Lyle says and I chuckle mentally and grab my shoes to head out to the liquor store. Checking my watch, they should be open.

'Will be back in twenty, doors open,' I text him back. The warmth of the shadows is comforting to me as I land in a narrow alleyway. I bump slightly into a dumpster before darting across the street and into the store. Browsing the shelves, I find Lyle's favorite and head to check out. The cashier does a double-take at my ID and I raise a brow at him.

"My apologies Mrs. Winters," he says quickly before bagging the bottle. Glancing in the reflection of the door I realize that most people don't ever see me like this. I don't wear a lot of make-up, but the minimal I do wear does a lot of good for my short lashes and thinner lips. My hair is piled on top of my head with two pens holding it in place. I am in my favorite yoga pants and one of Avi's sweatshirts that still smells like her.

Making it back to my apartment, I pop the bottle straight into the freezer and grab a few glasses to put in as well.

"Is that you Lena?" Lyle calls out concerned and I make the shadows in the living room move.

"Hey Lena," Devyn says as she walks on. She pulls me into a massive hug and I don't pull away. Resting my head on her shoulder, she squeezes me tighter.

"Lyle has some questions," she says quietly. I pitch a checkbook at his head, knowing exactly what he wants to ask me about. He flips it open and reads the names on it.

"You have a joint account with Xander?" He asks me surprised and I nod. Handing him a stack of Xander's bills, my heart pangs and I remember how broken everyone was after the mess with Particulate. We set up the accounts then so that one of us could always make sure the other's life wasn't destroyed.

"That's genius, should I pay Hadley and Click's bills out of his account?" He asks me and I nod solemnly, he had told me to do it the day after he first met Click. I took the bills from their apartment knowing that Hadley was just taking care of everything for Calikta until she graduated. She could certainly do it herself, but my sister wants her to focus on school and I will honor that wish.

We sit in silence as Devyn works on her laptop. We go through the old fashion process of writing all the checks out. I hate doing my banking online because of how many security threats have happened in the last few years. I can always send a second check, but if someone hacks into my bank accounts I am screwed.

"Should I be concerned by Xander's personal credit card bill?" Lyle asks me after a long pause. The drink in his hand he circles thoughtfully. I put my hand out for the bill and he hands it to me.

Scanning the lines, I see normal purchases for food and transportation until I come across the line that made Lyle raise an eyebrow. I try to decipher what the condensed store name means. Thunderstruck my eyes widen as I bolt to my feet and grab the ring box Avi's engagement ring came in from her drawer and toss it to Lyle.

"Wait, this purchase is from the jewelry store your family swears by?" Lyle asks me and Devyn's head picks up in curiosity.

"How much was the charge?" She asks carefully. Lyle rattles off a rounded number.

"Holy shit, did he buy an engagement ring for Hadley? Did he mention wanting to buy one? It's only been a few months," Devyn says quickly, the excitement bubbling in her expression.