Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“I… I… I… don’t normally do that.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Told? By who?”
“Your best friend Danté and your boyfriend Curtis.”
“Very funny.”
“I’m not laughing.”
“So what? Because you played hero for one night, I’m just supposed to move in with you?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, causing his muscles to intensify.
“Stop staring at his body, Camila. You’re supposed to be fighting with him, not admiring him.”
“Admiring, huh?”
“Goddamn it!” I stomped my foot. “I can’t be around you right now. I keep thinking out loud, and it’s making me look like an idiot.”
“I’d say entertaining.”
“Can you please just go?”
“Not without you.”
“Fine. I’ll meet you in the middle, okay? You didn’t fire me, and we can go back to the way things were. I’ll take care of your kids, and you pretend like I don’t exist.”
“That’s going to be hard, considering you live with me.”
“Ay Dios mío,” I rasped, “Oh my God.”
“Unless you want me to assume you’re saying, ‘I’m right,’ I suggest you speak English.”
“Listen, Dr. Pierce—”
“Oh, it’s Dr. Pierce now?”
“Yes. That’s your name.”
“It wasn’t last night.”
“Last night I was drunk and didn’t care.”
“No shit, you passed out in my arms.”
“Can you just stop being so… so… so…”
“So what?”
“Annoying! Now I know where Jackson gets it from.” I shook my head, trying to stay focused, but it was hard when he was looking at me so profoundly. Giving me his undivided attention was something I wasn’t used to or prepared for.
As a result, I simply acknowledged, “As I just said, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I can handle Sean. He won’t hurt me.”
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you remembered how he was treating you last night.”
“I do remember. That’s just typical Sean.”
“I don’t know what’s worse, him treating you like a whore or you defending him for treating you like one.”
I jerked back, realizing he was right. I was defending the piece of shit and that was hardest pill to swallow.
“My kids love you. They would never forgive me if something happened to you. Take a look around, Cami. Your home isn’t exactly what dreams are made of.”
“I’m not ashamed of where I live, Dr. Pierce.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees. He countered, “Then why not disclose your current living conditions during the interview with Skyler?”
“You watched my interview?”
“Answer my question,” he stressed, ignoring mine.
“I did, my address was on my resumé.”
“Try again.”
It was as if this man could read right through me, and there was no getting around it.
Was I being that transparent?
“Because I wanted to get hired. You know nothing about this, Dr. Pierce, but being raised in the south side doesn’t exactly qualify you for anything more. There, happy now?”
His eyes glazed over, and he didn’t try to hide it. He wanted me to see something behind his guarded stare. A deeper connection happening between us as though he knew precisely what I was talking about.
Jackson’s words from the previous night popped into my mind, recalling what he revealed like he was retelling it in this moment.
“After everything you promised Mom, Jagger, me, your family… you’re just like them. You’re exactly like the men who didn’t give a shit about you. How’s it feel to turn out to be a piece of shit like them? Huh? How’s it feel to lose everything you worked so hard for?”
Once again reading my mind, he pointed out, “You know what they say about people who assume don’t you, Cami?”
“So what? You were raised here too?”
“You could say that.”
“Were your par—”
“I’m not here to talk about my past. I’m here to talk about your future. If we go back to the old arrangement, Sean could follow you to my home. Not only would your life be in danger now, but also my children’s lives. So the position you were hired for just changed to live-in nanny, end of story. I have to be at the hospital in four hours, we need to go.”
“I’m not going to win this, am I?”
“Good to see you came to your senses.” He stood. “I need to make a call.”
“To who, your wife?” I blurted, shocking both of us. “Is she okay with me moving in?”
He was over to me in two long strides, declaring, “My wife would have my balls if she knew where you were living, and I didn’t do anything to help.”
I swallowed hard. “If she knew… does that mean she doesn’t know?”
“Wherever Bailey is, I can say with certainty she knows and would want it this way. But let me make this crystal fucking clear, you’re not moving in for anyone other than my kids.”
“I know that.”
“Great, I’ll be outside.” With that, he grabbed my suitcase off the bed and left.
I deeply sighed, unable to control the emotions wreaking havoc on my mind. One thing I was sure of, I had no idea what to expect from this point forward.