Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
And I hadn’t fucking chosen.
This bitch…
I apologized and took the food with a smile, then ate my food leaning up against the front of her truck.
I’d just gotten the last spark plug in and took my last bite of enchiladas when Calli’s door opened.
I didn’t bother looking up, just gathered up my food trash and tools.
Only when I was done did she come up to my side and begrudgingly say, “Thank you.”
I handed her my trash. “You’re welcome.”
Then I went inside and tried not to look back.
Eleven
Don’t be mad at lazy people. They didn’t do anything.
—Calliope to Jasper
CALLIOPE
“I’m sorry, but I can’t keep working here when you allow my truck to be vandalized multiple times,” I said, giving the sweet lady my notice. “I can’t afford to get it fixed, and if she does it again, I don’t think I can weasel my way out of getting it fixed by the neighbor next door again. He already thinks I’m dumb for going yesterday.”
“This fuckin’ bitch!” my boss groaned. “I swear, she’s ruining my life!”
I gave her a sad smile and said, “I’m sorry.”
She patted me on the shoulder. “It’s not your fault.”
I knew it wasn’t.
That didn’t mean that I didn’t feel bad for leaving her in the lurch.
“I appreciate the help, though. Truly. Even a two-day reprieve was good for me.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you for taking the time to tell me in person.”
After I left, I went straight home, not seeing the point in going out into the fuckin’ nut show that was Dallas Christmas traffic right now.
Plus, I didn’t really have any money to spare.
Yes, I had savings. Yes, I had a trust fund thanks to my sister.
But I wouldn’t be dipping into either one of those. I already felt bad that my sister had paid for my college when she hadn’t had the same gift given to herself.
Not that I felt like I should suffer exactly like my sister, but it did make me feel guilty.
And I hadn’t treated her the greatest my entire life.
That was what happened when you’re an angry ass kid, though.
You push people away.
At this point, it was so ingrained in my psyche that I didn’t know how to stop doing it.
When I got home, it was to see all my decorations moved.
I grumbled under my breath, knowing damn well who was responsible for this.
I marched up to Jasper’s door and knocked, only belatedly realizing that his bike wasn’t there.
The doorbell camera, however, activated and Jasper’s smoky, raspy voice said, “What?”
I narrowed my eyes at the camera, placing both of my hands on my hips as I said, “Why are my decorations in your yard?”
“Thought I’d go ahead and make room for that big ass fire truck blow up that you bought. You were running out of room,” he pointed out.
“I didn’t buy a firetruck blow-up,” I grumbled. “And how do you know about that, anyway?”
“Because your box was delivered to my house, thanks to your switching my sign around. I figured since it was delivered to my porch, I could open it.”
My eye started to twitch. “Opening someone else’s mail is illegal.”
“Taking someone’s food order that isn’t yours is illegal, too. Yet you didn’t seem to have a moral compass last night,” he interjected.
He did have a point.
Goddammit.
“Whatever.” I turned around and left, flipping him the bird as I went.
“You know this is the season for giving, right?” he called out. “It shouldn’t be all about you.”
I didn’t fall for his shit.
Instead, I walked back to my place and wondered what in the hell I was going to do to get back at him.
I was still stewing on what I should do a half hour later when my doorbell rang.
I peeked out of the hole that Doc had installed to “make sure there’s not a fuckin’ psycho on the front porch” and saw a man holding a bag of food.
This, I decided, would be how I’d get kidnapped.
Someone holding out food to me and telling me “delivery.”
“Hello,” I said much the same as last night. “Can I help you?”
“Delivery for Jasper?”
I smiled. “That’s me!”
He handed it over and left without another word, allowing me to look down and see tonight’s spoils.
Mexican again.
What the hell was up with this man’s love for Mexican food? Didn’t he eat any other cuisines?
I mean, damn, Mexican was divine. However, I couldn’t eat the same damn thing every night.
And sure enough, when I opened the bag, it was the same damn food as last night.
“Jesus Christ, Jasper,” I grumbled. “How about you expand your palate a little bit?”
I’d just dipped my food into the queso when my doorbell rang.
I looked up and smiled when I saw Jasper standing at my door, glaring at me through the side window.
The cheese that I’d just dipped my chip in oozed over the sides of my fingers, and I hurriedly shoved it into my mouth.