But patience wasn’t one of my virtues. Never had been. Frustration on the other hand—that tripped me up every time. “Sorry about that,” Ethan said when he caught up to me on the sidewalk outside. “Really.” “He must have heard about my accident. Maybe he found the newspaper article on the Internet. I don’t know. There are ways he could find out lots about me if he really wanted to, right?” “I swear he’s usually—” “What? Not a complete waste of space?” “Yeah, that. Look, I know that didn’t go well, but don’t completely write him off. I think he can still help us.” I tried to breathe normally, in through the nose, out through the mouth. “How are you friends with somebody like that? Where did you meet him?” He shrugged, his eyes on the sidewalk as we walked. We passed a stationery shop where my mother used to take me to get back-to-school supplies every year.
