Total pages in book: 212
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
“This also means that when she tried to get me to sell Uncle Billy’s guitar to make rent, she didn’t even need the money never mind have rent to pay because she probably bought this place. Gah!”
I passed Skip in the hall. He was in his doorway, kissing a busty redhead who was on her way out.
I rolled my eyes as I passed him to head into the john.
“I miss you,” she said softly.
“Yeah, gettin’ a little tired of hearing that,” I muttered. “Gonna take a leak. One sec.”
When I finished washing my hands, then splashing cold water on my face and dabbing it with a towel, I hauled the phone out of my shorts pocket.
“I’m back. Babble on.”
“You’re sick of hearing it,” she said softly.
I clenched my jaw and ran a hand through my hair.
“Sick of me missing you,” she went on sadly. “Knew I was gonna mess this up.”
“Yeah, cuz I’m sick of missing each other when we don’t need to. Come home. Tell her to hire her own nurse, that you’re sick of her bullshit abuse, and fuckin’ come home to your man, Gigi.”
She sighed. “Is it crazy that I kinda still feel like I can’t abandon her?”
“Yes.”
“Ugh.”
“So, you’re down to abandon me then?” I snapped.
The phone was quiet for a beat, then, “That’s not fair, Jesse.”
So I added, “It sure as fuck isn’t. I know you’re worried about your aunt, but she treats you like shit and this latest bullshit just proves she doesn’t deserve your effort. Time to come where you’re wanted and appreciated.”
“By you, not anyone else there. They-”
“Am I not enough?”
“Of course you are.”
“I’m picking you up tonight.”
“I need a little more time, Jesse.”
“Time for what? Fuck sakes, woman. We’ve been together a couple months. How much time we spend together lately? How is this gonna become something if we hardly see each other?”
“Become something? It already is something. To me. It’s everything, Jesse.”
“Prove it, G. Can’t get deeper with you when you’re this many miles away.”
“I… I’m gonna tell her she has to sort out a nurse. Give her time to do that. And then I’ll be back.”
“When?”
“I…” She held the phone.
“Fuck me,” I muttered, heading back down the hall and went to the kitchen. There was no goddamn coffee made. “Fuck,” I clipped. “I need coffee. I’ll call you back after I get some into me.”
“Okay,” she said softly. “Sorry I woke you up and put you in a salty mood.”
“Call you back on my lunch hour instead, actually. Got a bullshit morning lined up. Bye.” I ended the call.
***
I slammed the hood of the car I was working on and threw the greasy rag into the bucket in the corner.
“Sit on your balls on the throne this mornin’ or what?” Rider clipped from the doorway.
“Fuck knows,” I muttered and grabbed my clipboard and pen to update the work order.
“You’re one miserable fucker this morning,” he informed.
He was not wrong. I was a miserable fucker today. I wanted to ride. Break something. Pick a fight, maybe.
“Fuckin’ bullshit with G.”
“Ah,” Rider replied. “Wanna vent? Go for it.”
I put the clipboard down.
“If she was away from me taking care of someone who appreciated it, I could hack it. I’d feel like a complete dick if I was salty because she was off doin’ a good deed for someone who deserved it. But that woman she’s waiting on hand and foot is fuckin’ vile. Treats G like garbage.”
“That’s rough, brother,” Ride replied. “Kidnap her. Bring her home and cuff her to your bed.” He shrugged and cracked open an energy drink.
“I’d laugh that off, brother, but I happen to know you mean it.”
“It worked.” Ride shot me a grin as he reached into his toolbox then pulled out a screwdriver.
“That, it did,” I observed.
Ride had me and Bront abduct Jenna for him. The little hellcat was furious. It was for Jenna’s safety and now they lived together, and he was always goin’ on about ring shopping, so it worked out.
“I’m not givin’ it much more time. She needs to wise up or I’m done,” I stated. “Tired of this bullshit.”
“Brother,” Deacon called out from underneath the car beside me. “Whether the aunt deserves the help or not, your girl doesn’t have it in her to desert her. Don’t punish Gia for being a good person.”
I sighed and took a swig of the bottle of Coke I was drinking, then said, “She found out last night the woman’s been hoarding hundreds of thousands of dollars, playing poor while handing out abuse. Told her she didn’t have the money to help with Kailey’s cremation, that she couldn’t have helped even if it were Gigi herself that got murdered. And yet my girl is still sayin’ she needs to stay there and look after her because the Chemo is making her so sick. Lopped off her fuckin’ hair and made it into a wig for that witch. Makes me sick seein’ it on her head when she walks around that place doin’ nothin’ but bitchin’ and handing Gigi abuse.”