Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69785 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Dazzle?
“Dazzle?” I asked, unable to help myself, and also hoping that I could distract her enough that my mother’s motives wouldn’t have to be explained. That was sure the fuck the reason that my mother wanted her back.
Auggie was low-maintenance when she was being cared for by my mother. Mostly, Auggie could take care of herself, and if my mom had a television there for her, she left everyone alone.
She didn’t do anything with her or take her anywhere. She wouldn’t even take her to her doctor appointments because ‘why should she when she wasn’t sick?’
“Dazzle is his street name,” Auggie covered her mouth with her hand, as if she was letting me in on a secret. “He’s my age. And we live in the same home. He used to be normal, but then he was in a car accident, and now he thinks differently. Dazzle is short for Derringer.”
I could’ve seen Derrin, or Rin, but not Dazzle.
“Interesting,” I said. “Well, I’ll have to meet this ‘Dazzle’ you speak of.”
My sister’s cheeks flushed.
I picked up my burger and took a bite right as my phone rang.
“Yo,” I said around a bite of burger.
Auggie giggled in front of me, and I winked at her.
She was amused by the littlest of things.
“I just saw your woman, bawling her eyes out, driving down the road,” Zach said. “You might want to go check on her.”
Something inside of me stilled.
“Where was she?” I asked.
“I turned around and followed her. She hasn’t stopped yet, but…” He paused. “She just pulled into the vet clinic. Oh, fuck.”
That ‘oh, fuck’ had me stiffening in my seat.
“She’s covered in blood, man,” he said. “And she’s carrying something brown and black.”
“Will you stay with her?” I asked. “I’m out to lunch with my sister. I can be there in like… twenty minutes.”
I had to drop Auggie off first, because the only thing that I had on me was my bike, and Auggie was scared of the bike. Plus, I couldn’t leave Auggie there without me knowing when I’d be back.
“Sure,” Zach said.
Then he hung up, leaving me staring at my sister with a burger in my hand that felt like a lead weight.
“What’s wrong?” Auggie asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Something’s wrong with Swayze,” I answered. “Come on, grab your things. I’ll call you an Uber.”
She’d gotten here via the shuttle that ran for the community that she lived in. Once every couple of days the shuttles would run for the people that wanted to spend a day on the town—and could safely do it on their own—which was how she’d gotten here today. The only problem was, that shuttle wouldn’t be back for another hour or more, and I had a feeling Swayze needed me now.
That, and I didn’t like the idea of her crying her eyes out and covered in blood.
“You go, I’ll stay.” She patted my hand.
I hesitated. “Are you sur…”
My question was cut short when a smiling young man came out of the crowd and headed toward us. He had an adult with him that looked like she was a bit frazzled.
“I’m so sorry,” the older woman said. “This is my son, Derringer…”
“Dazzle, Mom! Dazzle!”
The older woman rolled her eyes. “Dazzle then. This is my son, Dazzle, and he really, really wants to come eat with y’all. I’ve put him off for twenty minutes now, but it’s getting a bit tough to control his… exuberance.”
I shook my head. “I was about to leave. I have an emergency and I’m calling an Uber for my sister. You can stay until then, though.”
“Oh, Augg-Wogg can come with me!” Dazzle looked at his mother pleadingly. It looked like a look he’d perfected over the years. “Please, Mom. Can she come with us?”
The older woman rolled her eyes and turned a smile onto me.
“I don’t mind if you don’t.”
I looked at my sister who was looking at me with her hands underneath her chin in a praying position.
I sighed. “That’s fine, but let me know when you’re home, okay, Augg?”
Auggie nodded energetically. “I will, promise.”
When I looked back to the woman, she was holding out a card.
“My name is Melissa Black. I’m married to Senator Black. This is my card. If you want to check on her, give me a call. I wrote my number on the back of the card,” she said, holding out her hand.
I took the card from one hand, and the hand with my own and shook it.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” I said. “Auggie’s had a lot of good things to say about you.”
I got a text and winced when I read it.
There’s a cat. Pretty sure that thing is dead. But she’s throwing a fit saying they have to save it because it’s her ‘man’s cat’ and he ‘can’t lose anything else’, read Zach’s text.