Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
It doesn’t get any better when Kyle lays his arm over my shoulders and pulls me to his side sharply. I don’t go willingly, my feet planted firmly, so the pressure of his arm makes me lean awkwardly, and I jerk away, trying to break free, but he holds me there like it’s some kind of claim in front of the officer. “Dani wouldn’t mind making another plate, would you?”
I look at Kyle, on the verge of spitting all the venom I’m feeling directly at him, and though he’s smiling, his eyes are screaming at me like he knows what I’m thinking and wants me to swallow it down right this instant.
“Wish I could, but that’d be against department policy. Another time, maybe?” the officer answers hopefully. “But I think we can call this an unofficial warning and not get any paperwork involved, don’t you think?” He smiles at Kyle like they’re new-found best buddies, all but forgetting I exist.
“Sounds good.”
They shake hands again, and the officer tips an imaginary hat at me, suddenly gentlemanly and nice instead of assholish and presumptive. “Good fences make for good neighbors, ma’am. I’d suggest you stay on your side of that one.”
With that, he walks back toward his car.
I stare after him, my mouth hanging open for a long second, and then I backhand Kyle’s stomach, pushing him away when he flinches and folds forward a bit. “What the fuck was that?”
He pins me with a hard look. “Sometimes, my name is a curse. Other times, it’s useful. He was going to give you a ticket, so I stopped it.”
“You mean you railroaded right over me, taking control before I even had a chance to explain myself, and handled things how you saw fit like I wouldn’t have an opinion on the matter. Or if I did, like my opinion didn’t matter.”
I feel betrayed by what Kyle just did. I recognize that he helped me. I do see that, and on some level, I even appreciate it, but it’s the way he did it. I thought he was going to be supportive and even welcomed that, which was a big trust for me. I should’ve known better. It’s right back to him tackling Joshua before I could manage the situation myself. It’s right back to my parents thinking they know what’s best for me and not listening to anything outside their own echo chamber. It’s back to making me feel like I’m not capable and need to let the men in my life deal with the big, important stuff.
“Dani—”
I don’t give him a chance to explain. I’m too mad. No, anger isn’t what I’m feeling. I’m not exactly in touch with all my emotions on a therapy-level, but this is hurt and embarrassment. I can distinguish that much, at least.
“Fuck you, Kyle,” I snarl as I leave him behind me, high-kneeing it back toward the house.
In the kitchen, I slam some dishes into the sink, needing to let this anger out somehow, and through the window, I see Kyle going back to the guys, who look worried about everything that just played out.
Kyle says something to them too quiet for me to hear through the back screen door, but I sure as shit hear Kathy shouting at them from her patio.
“You boys need to get back to work.”
Dwight and his guys start moving instantly, but Kyle holds out a staying hand toward them and they freeze.
“Mrs. Wilson, the conversation with the police officer took up fifteen minutes of their allotted lunch time. As that was work-related, they are owed that time and will be continuing their break until they get their full thirty. Also, they don’t work for you, they work for me, so do not tell my workers—my men—to do or not do a single damn thing. The only person you employ here is me, and that is limited to the scope of our contract. Understood?”
I inhale sharply. Kyle just put a huge target on his back, taking it from his crew and Dwight’s.
I can see the parallel that, in a way, that’s what he did for me too. The difference is, as their boss, Kyle’s responsible for his workers. He’s not responsible for me. The only person responsible for me is… me.
“Well, I never!” Kathy huffs, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. That’s the problem. She’s never been told no and has delusions of grandeur and importance. But Kyle’s verbal kickback does result in Kathy closing the door, or well, slamming it again, but it’s an empty victory.
Kyle turns back to the other guys, and they slowly start eating again, talking among themselves. I see them glancing at my back door, and though nobody makes a move to come toward it, thankfully, they’re grinning and laughing like this whole thing was quite the spectacle. I’m pretty sure they’re even reenacting it with Zeus playing the part of me at Kyle’s side, who is played by Frogger. Apparently, I looked like a raging bull about to rampage.