Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
I stumble away from him and into the apartment. Hollis is in the kitchen cooking something that smells healthy and boring. I dump my backpack and flowers onto the kitchen table, rushing toward my room with my purse in hand.
“Roux,” Roan snaps. “We’re not done.”
“I can’t deal with you right now,” I utter, hating that tears are flooding down my cheeks. All I can think about is Samantha. Beautiful Samantha. With Jordy. My Jordy. In a hotel room.
“Roux.” His voice is softer. “Listen…”
I shut the door behind me and lock myself in my room. With a sob, I fall face first onto my bed. Before the tears have fully dried, I text Jordy.
Me: It must be nice to turn your feelings off whenever you feel like it. Apparently I’m incapable.
Thirty minutes pass and he never responds.
I find Wes’s number and text him.
Me: Do you have any poems about hating everyone?
He responds immediately.
Wes: Want to talk about it?
I hit dial on his number and spend the rest of the night unloading every heavy emotion that’s weighing down on me. Maybe it’ll inspire him to write more poems. Regardless, it’s nice to talk to someone about what I’m feeling. He listens without judgment. Doesn’t treat me like I’m too young to feel all that I feel. Just listens.
Jordy
The stove sizzles as I toss the meat and vegetables around for the order I’m working on. My head is elsewhere. To last night. My meeting with Samantha. Roux’s text that came out of nowhere. By the time I got home last night, everyone was in bed, and I swear to fuck I heard Hollis and Roan going at it.
I’m not gay, but I also haven’t been laid in fucking forever.
I had to take a shower and beat off to relieve some tension. I’ll never admit that two people having sex—even if they’re guys—was hot enough that I got a boner. But I don’t want a fucking guy. I want Roux. The unattainable. And with every stroke over my hard dick, I thought about her. Kissing her. Touching her. Pushing inside her.
I’m half hard in the kitchen of this damn restaurant because I can’t stop thinking about her. Her text bothered me, yet I couldn’t find it in me to respond. She thinks I can just turn off my feelings? She’s wrong. I feel too much. All I’m doing is channeling them in the right direction. If I let my feelings direct me, I’ll be back in jail before I know it.
“Yo, Jordy, you have a visitor,” Bob barks out.
I plate the meat and scoop some rice and beans on the side before tossing it in the window for the waitress to grab. When I turn around, Bob is frowning at me.
“Who is it?”
“Renaldo Ramirez,” Bob grits out. “And he’s bad news. You gotta stay away from him. Can’t get involved with that asshole, Jordy. Trust me.”
I crack my neck and shrug at him. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He opens his mouth to speak, but the kitchen door gets flung open. Ramirez, the fucking thug, saunters in, his dark eyes assessing the kitchen with disdain.
“Bob tell you I was here to see you?” Renaldo asks, running his tongue over his top teeth and staring at me with narrowed eyes.
“Yeah. I was about to head out to see you.”
Renaldo nods and walks over to the register. He mashes a button, sending it popping open. I watch in shock as he raids the machine, stuffing the larger bills into his pocket, and Bob says nothing.
What the fuck?
I dart my eyes to Bob, who won’t look anywhere but at his feet. My hands fist, eager to beat the shit out of Renaldo, but I refrain. Barely.
“Tonight, Kayden is meeting with more Rockfords. I want you there. To be his backup,” Ramirez says, coming to stand in front of me. “Here. Some gas money.” He hands me a wad of twenties. “I said take the fucking money, kid.”
I’m not some damn kid he can push around.
Yet, I take the fucking money, shoving it into my pocket.
“You done terrorizing the shit out of everyone?” I ask, smirking at Renaldo.
Not wise to taunt this bastard, but sometimes I can’t help myself.
He laughs. “Smartass. Walk me out.”
Bob nods at me to obey, which really fucking irritates me. I follow behind Renaldo into the dining room of the restaurant. As I pass some tables, I notice Sidney, Sebban, and the nerd. The nerd husband of hers stares me down, hatred burning in his eyes.
What the fuck did I do to this guy?
Renaldo opens the front door and a guy walks in. Fitzgerald. He doesn’t acknowledge me, just tips his head at Renaldo and thanks him for holding the door open. Once Renaldo makes it to his car, he turns to face me.
“You understand this arrangement, right?”