Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
So I put my foot into it.
“I’d love to,” I turned my head to see Apple staring at me expectantly.
His eyes showed surprise, and then satisfaction…and then worry.
He looked over at my brother, then back to me.
“Am I missing something?” He asked.
I grinned.
“No,” I smiled. “Not anything important.”
“You’re not like a psycho or anything, right?” He asked for confirmation.
I shook my head.
“Not the last time I checked,” I baited.
“You’ve checked to see if you’re psycho?” He tilted his head slightly.
I shrugged.
“I’ve taken a few of those quizzes on Facebook that make you pick a bunch of pictures and answer random questions. According to them, I am not a psycho,” I returned.
Chuckles rose around the room as Apple and I sparred back and forth, but then I made a faux pas of sorts.
I asked about his name.
“So, tell me about your name,” I broke in. “Is it a family name?”
I hadn’t meant it as anything but what it was. A fucking question.
Did Apple take it like that? No.
He took immediate offense to the fact that I would question where he got his name, automatically assuming that I was being rude.
“My name came from my mother, thank you very much,” he muttered, standing up. “If y’all don’t need anything else, my Pop’s all by himself tonight.”
Peek automatically nodded, and I was left wondering what in the hell just happened.
“Ummm,” I floundered. “Do y’all think I’m still invited this weekend?”
Annie, Mig’s wife, giggled.
“No,” she snickered. “I don’t think you will be.”
I snapped my fingers.
“Damn,” I moaned. “The first time I get an invitation by someone that has all his teeth and it’s rescinded within the hour.”
Laughter followed that comment, but I wasn’t feeling very ‘laughy’ at the moment.
I was actually hurt.
I always went out of my way to be nice to people and to have someone think I was purposefully being mean didn’t sit well with me.
But when I got up to follow Apple outside, he was gone, and all that was left was the smell of burnt rubber and a wallet.
***
“Thanks,” I said to the cabbie. “I’ll catch a ride with my friend.”
Carl, the cab driver of the only cab company in town, didn’t hesitate and pressed his foot to the gas pedal.
I watched the cab until I could no longer see the tail lights, and then I turned to stare in wonder at the house in front of me.
I saw the goats almost immediately.
They were in a pen set up to the left of the house, which was also where the dogs were laying down.
The moment I caught sight of them, they bolted up and started barreling towards me.
I braced myself, waiting for the inevitable impact of the huge polar bear-like dogs, but it never happened.
When I finally opened my eyes that I hadn’t realized I’d closed, I saw both dogs, sitting on their rumps, staring at me.
Their tails were swishing in the dirt as they waited for some signal that I wasn’t privy to.
Then I heard the whistle.
Following the sound, I saw the man I’d come there to see.
“You dropped your wallet,” I informed him. “It was on the ground next to where your bike was parked.”
“How nice of you to bring it to me,” Apple drawled, sarcasm thick in his voice.
My eyebrows rose.
“I’m sorry if I offended you,” I apologized. “It was never my intention.”
He blinked, surprised that I’d willingly offered up an apology.
But then I said something stupid.
“It’s not like I knew you were so sensitive about your name, or I would’ve never brought it up,” I continued.
I could never just stop while I was ahead.
It didn’t matter what I was doing.
Gambling and up a hundred and fifty bucks? I’d bet it fucking all and then promptly lose it.
Every single time without fail.
I was running ahead of schedule? I’d stop at the donut store before work. Then I’d get distracted by all the pretties and end up being ten minutes late.
That was how my life ran, though.
I was that person that never knew when to shut up. Add on top of that, I’d been drinking the entire night, and it ended up being no bueno for me.
“So, if you sent your cab away, how do you expect to get home?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
I looked at my watch.
“Actually…my brother and I only live about a five minutes’ walk down the road from here,” I pointed in the direction. “Didn’t you know that?”
He shook his head.
“No,” he grumbled, obviously upset at that news. “I didn’t know that.”
“Apple!” An older man’s voice called from inside the house. “Where’s the coffee you bought?”
I raised a brow at him.
“Yeah, Apple. Where’s the coffee you bought?” I teased.
Apple’s eyes narrowed.
“Go home.”
Chapter 2
I’d call you a cunt, but you don’t have the depth or the warmth.
-Apple’s secret thoughts
Apple
She got all the way to the end of the driveway before I came to my senses.