LAUREN'S POV

“I don’t really need much, I just need to pay off someone I’ve been owing here for a while,” Liz said over the phone, her voice carrying a subtle edge of urgency that made me stand up straighter

 I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady as I replied. “Ok… how much?” I asked, my fingers tapping lightly against the back of my phone 

 “Five thousand,” she said plainly, as if it were a number I could easily pull out of nowhere.

 I paused for a moment, letting the number sink in. Five thousand was pocket change, but it also wasn’t something I can just dash...