Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“Damn you, Burt.”
“Damn you, Burt,” he says, mocking me. “I’m grouchy, all right. I’m …” He glances at the clock. “Fifteen minutes until I can get more pain meds.”
I stand, the red couch squeaking, and sigh.
Someone knocks on the door. Troy silently asks if he can answer it and Burt waves his hand in agreement.
“Hey,” Morgan says, bounding into the room. “That hottie next door said you were here. How are you feeling?” She looks around me. “Hey, Burtie.”
“Hey, babe.”
I stifle a laugh. Morgan’s eyes twinkle with mischief.
“How are you?” she asks me again.
“Fine. In some pain but, I mean, it probably just comes with the territory.”
“You’re really moving in with Troy?”
“Yes, she is. Don’t try to talk her out of it,” he says from across the room.
She looks at him and laughs. “I’m Morgan. I’m the best friend, not to be confused with Burt, the best neighbor. I’d love to have coffee with you this week so I can ensure you understand how much I love this girl, and if you ever hurt her, I will hurt you. Worse than you hurt Freddy.”
“Fuck Freddy,” Burt says.
“I’m assuming the man, and I do mean man, in Dahlia’s house is your brother because those genes are strong.”
“Yeah. That’s Travis,” Troy says.
“Well, Troy, since you and I are friends now, how about introducing me? I’m a catch.”
“She is,” Burt says, rocking in his chair. “Gives good sponge baths, too.”
Morgan and I laugh.
“Okay, since you’re alive and well …” She looks at Troy and then back at me. “And in what appears to be very capable hands, I’m going back to your house to flirt with Troy’s brother.”
“We need to go, too,” I say.
Morgan gasps. “At least give me ten minutes alone with him. Damn. Don’t cockblock me.”
She gives us no time to respond. She’s out the door as quickly as she came in.
I go to Burt’s chair and kneel beside it. He pats my hand and frowns.
“I’m sorry to see you go, sweet pea,” he says.
“I’m not gone yet.”
Troy makes a face that only I can see. I roll my eyes at him.
“We’re just getting the basic stuff today since we aren’t working,” I say. “It’ll be a couple of weeks before I’m completely out. But then I’m just a call away. And you better believe I’ll be here to celebrate all kinds of things. Like sunny days and that I got up in the morning, and we’ll have two pieces of cake when Troy makes me lift weights.”
Troy shakes his head, resolved to my hatred of weightlifting.
Burt shifts in his chair. “I’m sad to see you go, but I’m proud of you. I didn’t have any kids, thank God, but if I had, I’d hope I’d have a girl like you.”
“Damn you, Burt,” I say, sniffling.
He chuckles. “Come and see me.” He points at Troy. “You, too. I want to make sure you kids are all right.”
I stand, squeezing his wrinkled hand. “I’m sorry again for—”
“Get her outta here, will ya?” Burt asks Troy.
Troy shakes Burt’s hand. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You, too.” Burt nods at him. “Happy to finally see her with someone who’s worthy of her. Take care of her. She’s my best neighbor.”
“I will. Don’t worry about that.”
Burt winks at me, then turns on his television.
Troy holds my hand as we leave.
We step onto the sidewalk beneath one of the massive trees lining the street. Our steps are slow and unrushed. It’s a nice change of pace from the past few days.
“Who’s that?” Troy asks, nodding to a dark-colored SUV crawling up the street. He shifts his body so that he’s between me and the SUV.
It rolls in front of my house and stops, and then my father steps out of the driver’s side door.
My heart pounds. I have no idea why he’s here. I haven’t talked to him since before I left town. After everything that’s happened, I’m not sure what he’ll say.
“Hi, Dahlia. Hello, Troy,” he says.
“How do you two know each other?” I ask.
My dad smiles. “We had a long chat last night.”
Is that so?
I look curiously at Troy. He doesn’t look at me.
Troy kisses my cheek. “If you’re okay, I’m going to make sure your friend hasn’t hogtied my brother.”
I laugh. “That’s a good plan.”
“Nice to see you, Mr. Dallo,” Troy says.
“Likewise.”
They shake hands before Troy walks off.
“How are you feeling?” he asks me.
“Just like you’d expect, only with pain meds.”
He nods, exhaling roughly. “Well, this isn’t how I thought we’d have this conversation someday. And it’s not the exact conversation I thought we’d have, either.”
“Wanna take a walk?” I ask.
He smiles. “I’d love to.”
We stroll through the neighborhood in silence. I don’t know what to say, and basic pleasantries feel wrong. We pass three houses before he speaks.
“I’m getting a divorce,” he says.
“Wow. Strong lead.”