Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Stunned, I ask, “What shit with my parents?”
Violet rolls her eyes. “Please, they hated Dom. They hated that he was a foster child, they hated his friends, who he was… they hated everything about him, and they made sure everyone, including him, knew about it.”
“They didn’t—”
Before I can get it all out, Violet interrupts me again. “Luciana, you should talk to your mom or talk to Dom. Ask them about it. Trust me, everyone knew how much your parents did not want you to be with Dominic Evans.”
I try to think about my past and when I was with Dom. We met my senior year, and from the first moment I talked to him, we were inseparable. I fell hard and fast for the town bad boy, and my whole life revolved around him. I didn’t care about anything or anyone but Dom. But there’s no way I would have missed how my parents treated him. Yeah, they were reserved with him, but not in a mean way. “My parents were super protective of me, you know that. I was their only child and—”
The server drops off the chips and dip we ordered, and as soon as he walks away, I continue. “I was their only child, and you know how it is. They were never happy with any of my boyfriends.”
She deadpans, “I think it was more than that. They treated Dom like he was a criminal.”
I start to say he was when Violet holds her hand up. “Don’t. Yes, he got caught driving the getaway car in a robbery.”
I blurt out a laugh, but that doesn’t stop Violet. “But you also know that Dom was trying to save Jamie. He was trying to get him on the straight and narrow. He said he didn’t know that Jamie was robbing that place, and I believe him.”
From the moment I found out that Dominic was arrested, I knew he was innocent, but I’m not about to agree with Violet about this. I had no doubt it was a case of wrong place, wrong time, but it didn’t matter because Dom ended our relationship. I cross my arms on the table. “What’s happening here? You’re defending Dom… aren’t you supposed to hate him?”
She picks up a chip and dips it into the guacamole before eating it. “Hate him? Why would I hate him?”
I grab a chip and wave it at her. “He opened a mechanic shop. Your brother had the only one in town, and now he’s the competition.”
She blurts out a laugh. “Really? I should hate him because of that? You know that’s crazy, right? Tate and Dom actually do a good job of coexisting in this small town. They send each other business when one of them is too busy.”
I angrily dip the chip and chew it, lost in thought. Violet is not telling me anything I don’t already know. Dominic Evans is a good man. Yes, he hurt me, but it doesn’t make him a bad person just because he didn’t want to be with me anymore.
“So…” Violet waves her hand in front of my face. “Finish the story. You broke down, and Dom was the one that stopped.”
I grit my teeth, remembering Dom walking toward me and seeing him for the first time in forever. “Yeah, he refused to leave me on the side of the road and packed all my bags in his truck and took me home.”
Violet wants to say something but is obviously holding back. “So… you want me to send Tate to tow your car?”
She picks up her phone, ready to call her brother, and I shake my head. “Nope… I told Dom I’d take care of it, but he went back and picked it up.” I let out a harsh breath. “And then he towed it to his shop, fixed the fuel pump, put on new tires, a new battery and who knows what else.”
I can hear the frustration in my voice, and it’s obvious Violet hears it too. “That asshole. How dare he?”
“Har, har. You’re funny. I appreciate him doing all that, but I can’t even afford to pay him for the fuel pump, let alone all the other stuff he did.”
Violet shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “Let me pay for it.”
I wave her off. “No, I hired an attorney, and he should be able to help me get my share of the money from my business soon. Or at least access to it.”
Violet shrugs. “Well, you know Dom, just talk to him. He’ll let you take your car and just make payments.”
I nod. “Yeah, he said he didn’t want money and that I could take my car, but I don’t want to owe him anything.”
“He’s not like that,” Violet deadpans.
I’m taking another drink when Violet smirks, gesturing toward the other side of the bar. “Well, well, well, speak of the devil.”