Their eyes meet and Jack knows she's caught before @maimeelai speaks.
" That does put a damper on our relationship, " Aiden says.
She winces and puts down the wad of cash from his wallet that she'd been pawing through. No point in trying to hide it now. " I know this is a cliché, but this isn't what it looks like? " Jack tries a cheeky smile, but feels it fit falsely. After all, it is pretty much what it looks like.
She tries to read deeper into his expression, past the initial surprise, to weigh her options and finds the look on his face cold? Maybe? She doesn't know him well enough to parse out the thoughts running through his head, which limits her escape routes as much as her shitty plan has. Jack decides to keep talking before the silence can settle, unsure if even her best bullshit will get her out of this mess.
" Look, I know I'm a thief, but I wasn't going to take it. " Direct lie, though the words are delivered with as much innocence as she can manage. But what explanation is there to offer? Will he understand that she's just looking for enough cash to make it back home? And really what else can she do? The possession had robbed her of some of her memories and most of her belongings, leaving her stranded without even a few pesos for food let alone new clothes or a plane ticket out of here.
" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched it to begin with. Here. " She stuffs the cash back inside and tosses him the wallet, hoping her change of course is enough to buy her a measure of trust again. And if it doesn't? Well, she's probably friendless and also fucked.















