Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 90448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
I stood there, frozen in place. “Did you not hear the part about how I solely am responsible for my family? I’m serious. I don’t want you interfering or thinking you can . . .”
“What? Just say it.” He stalked my way and positioned himself right in front of me.
“I’m not a charity case.”
“No. You’re not.”
I bit my bottom lip.
“You were smiling and laughing until you answered the phone.” He placed his hands on my waist and drew me into him. “As soon as your mother started talking, your face held this sad look, and all over pocket change.”
“It’s not pocket change to me.”
“It will be after a few months.” He landed a kiss on my forehead. “How many kids is she taking care of?”
I gazed up at him, full of embarrassment. “Seven.”
“How many bedrooms do they live in?”
“A two-bedroom apartment. It’s in Zenfield projects.”
“We’ll have to move them out of there, then.” He patted my shoulder and walked off.
“What?”
He headed to my closet door. “You heard me. And don’t start with that ‘I’m so independent’ mess. It should be illegal for that many people to live in so small a space. And I don’t ever want you going into South End by yourself.”
He opened my closet.
“Wait.” I hurried his way. “We’re not moving anybody anywhere until I know for sure I’m going to be with you.”
He stopped walking, rested his hand on the doorway, and tapped the polished wood with his finger. “You still have doubts?”
“Of course.” I held my hands up to my sides. “We’ve barely been together for a week. I’m still not adjusted to this lifestyle. Now we have to wait two weeks for our first date, so it will take a while.”
“Two weeks?” He turned around and scrunched his face up in confusion. “What do you mean by two weeks?”
“Dawn changed the schedule so the others can get their date nights back, so our first date isn’t until the end of two weeks.”
“Changed the schedule? The hell she did!” Chase roared and pushed the back wall of my closet. A dark stairwell emerged. He flipped a light switch and rushed upstairs. “I’ll be right back. Get dressed. I’ll meet you in front of the house to go to the gym.”
“But. . .”
Chapter 27
Bastard
We never made it to the gym.
Chase and Dawn argued for two hours in her apartment, the hallway outside my door, the front of the house, and then finally in the garden.
I watched them from my living room window.
Lucy stumbled outside, completely hung over and pissed. She tried to referee, but they ignored her. Eventually, she collapsed on the ground and simply laid in the grass, holding her forehead.
Wendy strolled out with a glass of wine in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
By the second hour I was dressed in a business suit. I saw no resolution coming and called a cab to take me to the office.
Chase was correct about a pile of work being on his desk. It was a tower of contracts, status reports, new business proposals, and invitations to events. They covered the whole surface. I did my best to organize everything and take care of the ones I’d been authorized to handle.
A few times I called Lucy to make sure everything was okay. She would give me the okay on everything. On the last call, she told me Dawn had called an emergency counseling session for everyone at 1 p.m. with their therapist and I was expected to be there.
I never showed up. For one, I wasn’t one of the crazy people arguing all morning. Second, who the hell was she to demand I be anywhere?
Instead, I concentrated on Chase’s work pile and caught him up enough where he wouldn’t be too overwhelmed once he came into the office the next day.
By the afternoon, I’d had many aggravated text messages from Dawn that I promptly deleted.
Mom also sent lots of texts, thanking me for the huge sum of money that was delivered to her apartment and informing me the power was back on. Apparently, Chase had ignored my wishes and ordered Xavier to give them ten thousand dollars.
I wasn’t sure if I should be overjoyed, worried, or pissed.
Night came with a shower of cold rain and a blackened sky with no stars or fluffy clouds to hover over the land.
I arrived back at Willow Park wet, tired, and exhausted.
I honestly couldn’t wait to get home. A hot bathtub full of bubbles floated in my head.
I gazed at the huge mansion when I stepped out of the cab and ran down the pathway, keeping my hands over my head. Raindrops battered my skin and soaked my clothes. I slipped a few times on the stairs and cursed my high heels. Yet, somehow I made it to the front door without falling.