Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“I remember Yvonne like it was yesterday,” Josh said, mesmerized. “She was basically a mom to me.”
I turned my attention away from the screen for a moment. “Your mothers must have been friends?”
His expression was stone cold. “I didn’t have a mother.”
My stomach sank. “Your mother passed?”
“No. But I don’t really want to talk about it.” He turned to me with a look of warning. “Okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered.
Josh stood and disappeared into the kitchen. I sat there in a daze, continuing to watch the video. It seemed the man I’d once thought was heartless had a heck of a lot of feelings bottled up. There was likely a lot I didn’t know about Josh.
CHAPTER 6
* * *
JOSH
“HOW LONG DO you think it will take to get him into a group home?” my brother Michael asked as he handed me a beer.
“Well, I’m sure as hell not just dropping him off at any old place. It needs to be the right fit. So I honestly don’t know.”
Michael was married to his high school girlfriend, Vanessa, and lived about two miles away from Wayne’s. My other brother was single and also lived in town.
I’d stopped over at Michael’s to get supplies I needed to fix a few things back at the house.
He cracked open a bottle of Blue Moon. “You’re gonna live in that little house indefinitely? Why don’t you just sleep here? We have a guest room.”
“Carly won’t be able to handle it if something goes down in the middle of the night. He’s too damn big.”
“How did the aunt handle it?”
“Lorraine apparently called Abe next door when things got out of hand. But that’s not fair to him.”
Michael popped a pretzel into his mouth. “You never liked this Carly girl, right?”
It seemed stupid now to think that I’d ever had negative feelings toward Carly. Most of that was based on my impression of her feelings toward me. Now that I knew she’d seen that stupid comment I’d texted Brad—one I hadn’t even remembered until she mentioned it—I couldn’t blame her for holding a grudge. She’d had every right to think I was a prick. But lately, she was growing on me.
“I thought I didn’t like her back when Brad first started dating her. But after living with her for the past week, I realize I never really knew her. At the time, I felt like Brad was rushing into things—you know, getting engaged to the first piece of hot-blonde ass he fell for out in California.”
“Hot-blonde ass, huh?” He laughed from behind his bottle. “What do you think of her now?”
“She’s alright.” I took a long sip of my beer. “I still don’t know her all that well. But you have to respect anyone who’d willingly come to take care of a grown man she barely knows.”
He smirked. “And you think she’s hot…”
My eyes narrowed. “What does that matter?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the two of you should…you know…try to make the best of it while you’re stuck in the same house?”
His suggestion irked me. “What the hell are you insinuating?”
Michael shrugged.
My brother is nuts. “If you’re implying what I think you are, you’re whacked. I’d never go there with Brad’s girl.” I lightly punched his arm. “You crazy?”
“Since when do you have morals, brother?”
His question offended me. Sure, I hadn’t been good at relationships and had cheated on my fair share of girlfriends back in high school. Might have even stolen a girl from a friend or two back in the day. But Brad? Brad was different. Brad was family.
I slammed my bottle down. “There are some lines you don’t cross. Messing around with your brother from another mother’s fiancée is one of them.”
Michael examined my face. “I know what you’re thinking, Josh. But it wouldn’t be the same situation as what Uncle Stone did to Dad with Mom.”
An old, familiar feeling of rage stirred within me. Just as I’d always done at the mention of my mother’s betrayal, I exited the conversation so I didn’t have to deal with it.
My chair skidded across the floor as I got up. “Thanks for the beer. I’d better get going.”
***
On the way home, I texted Carly.
Josh: Anything you need while I’m out?
The dots moved around for a while before her response came.
Carly: I need you not to kill me when you get back.
What the?
Josh: I wasn’t planning on it. Is there a reason I’d want to?
Carly: Possibly.
Josh: Tell me what it is.
Carly: It’s better if you see it, rather than explaining over text.
Josh: Great. Okay. I’ll be home in a few.
I’d thought things at the house were crazy as they were, but apparently, I had no clue how much worse they could get. I worried her text had something to do with Scottie, but no. When I walked through the door at Wayne’s, he was sitting on the couch as usual, rocking back and forth to his music.