"You'd tell me if you needed help, right?"
He looked at me, just looked, and then scratched his head, a few inches above his ear. "Yeah, why?"
I shrugged. "We haven't been talking for a while and it was just lucky..." I looked out at the street. "Just a coincidence that we walked by each other." I pushed away from the brick wall and turned my back to the dead end of the alley, so I was looking out at the passing cars. "I just want you to know that I'm around. I'm around if you need me."
The corner of his mouth lifted into an almost-smirk and then his expression went blank again. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
"So what is it?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you about this one."
"And you're okay."
"I will be." He nodded and adjusted the strap of his small black duffel bag. "Everything is fine. Don't worry."
How could I? I didn't even know what kind of work he did those days.
He looked at me, just looked, and then scratched his head, a few inches above his ear. "Yeah, why?"
I shrugged. "We haven't been talking for a while and it was just lucky..." I looked out at the street. "Just a coincidence that we walked by each other." I pushed away from the brick wall and turned my back to the dead end of the alley, so I was looking out at the passing cars. "I just want you to know that I'm around. I'm around if you need me."
The corner of his mouth lifted into an almost-smirk and then his expression went blank again. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
"So what is it?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you about this one."
"And you're okay."
"I will be." He nodded and adjusted the strap of his small black duffel bag. "Everything is fine. Don't worry."
How could I? I didn't even know what kind of work he did those days.