Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“He was right. Did he tell you what happened?”
“No. He said it was your story.” The more we talked, the more relaxed I became. I found myself snuggling against him. I couldn’t help myself. He was warm and felt safe. Even if he’d been a dick to me before, for whatever reason, he wasn’t being one now. And I loved this feeling.
“So, you worked for the nursing home after you graduated high school.” He was trying to get me back on track, and I let him, figuring it was best to get it out now that I’d started.
“I did. I couldn’t pass my CNA test, but I worked hard and they let me stay. I’d had the schooling, I just couldn’t pass the test. They were short-staffed. There was some kind of loophole they used in the new regulations for nursing homes and the hiring of staff. They kept me on, but I got paid less than I would have if I’d been an actual CNA.” I shrugged. “I didn’t mind. I made enough to pay for the government housing apartment and to eat. And working there meant I got to spend time with Mrs. Wagner.”
“You keep calling her Mrs. Wagner. Why didn’t you call her Verna? That was her first name.”
“Out of respect, I guess. I think it was what first caught her attention. I never called the residents by their first name. I used their last names and Mr. or Mrs. It was the way I’d been raised. I mean, if one ever called Sister Mary Catherine Mary, or Catherine, the consequences were dire.”
He chuckled lightly. “Yes, I supposed it would be. I could see my mother liking the formality of that.”
“It wasn’t formality. It was genuine respect. For all the residents. They’d seen so much in their lives, and I loved hearing their stories. It was like I got to live another life. One where I had a family.”
“So that’s the real reason you were agreeable to do what she asked. Wasn’t it?”
The shame of it all was nearly too much. “I realize it was playing with your life, Max. I’m really sorry. It’s… she dangled something in front of me I wanted with all my heart. I knew it was ludicrous, but she was so sure you’d welcome me with open arms. That, if I tried hard enough, I could make you happy enough to want me in your life.”
Warlock sighed. The name suited him more than Max or even Maximilian. “OK. You told me what brought you to this point in life. Let me tell you about me. Why this isn’t something I welcome. We’ll talk it out and decide what to do next. Together. Can you do that?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” He shifted his position. It brought me a bit closer to him. When I moved one arm around his neck, he seemed to like the new position. It let me rest my head on his shoulder while he talked.
Chapter Four
Warlock
In my experience, women were all about manipulation. They manipulated you with their vulnerability or with sex to get what they wanted. I knew it sounded misogynistic, but that had been my experience. This girl, however…
Maybe she was playing me. She wanted a family or to be loved or whatever. But why? Why choose me? If her story was to be believed -- and I thought it might be -- then she was as much a victim of my mother’s meddling as I was. Maybe more, because she had no idea she was being manipulated. It had only recently occurred to her that my mother might have had less than honorable intentions when she set this whole situation in motion. Hope had voiced it in the middle of her grief. I doubt the girl even realized she’d said anything. Her tale had obviously been very painful for her. The least I could do was give her my own story of heartache.
“I was with my ol’ lady for seven years. She came to me with a daughter from a previous relationship. Bev was clingy and very jealous if my attention wasn’t focused squarely on her, so I tried my best to protect Chloe while keeping my distance. For the most part, Bev sent Chloe away to boarding schools anyway, so I didn’t have to worry about being careful of any kind of relationship with the girl. I was president of the MC I belonged to, so sometimes we had heated arguments about the time I spent away from her and with the club. The conflicts were such a strain that most of the time, I alleviated her jealousy by taking her with me to the clubhouse instead of going alone. I had no idea at the time, but I was playing right into her hands.”
In a way, admitting all this to Hope was cathartic. I was examining my relationship with Bev for what it really was. And the more I thought about it, the more and more I was questioning my reasons for wanting Bev with me at the time.