Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“No.”
“No?”
“No.” The word was fainter than she would have liked. She wished she’d sounded strong. Certain. But it was the best she could do when she couldn’t . . . fucking . . . breathe.
This was what she got for thinking everything would be all right.
Maybe she should be more like Steele. Believe the worst.
“Shouldn’t you talk to Brooks first? He’s sixteen now, he might like to get to know his mother.”
“No. I don’t need to speak to him. Do not call me back.” She ended the call and then placed her head down on the desk.
Breathe.
Just breathe.
Fear had hold of her, though. It made her tremble. Why . . . why was Tanya doing this now? She had never tried to get in contact with Brooks. Not once.
And now, out of the blue, she just decided she wanted to talk to him? What about all the birthdays and Christmases? Had she not thought to call then? What about when Joe died?
Her breath shuddered in and out of her lungs.
“Spitfire? What’s wrong?”
Shit. Why hadn’t she shut the door? And why did Steele have to turn up now?
He’d been in pretty much every day of the last week to try whatever treat she had with her.
Chocolate chip cookies. Lemon bars. Hedgehog slice. All of it.
She’d realized that he had a big sweet tooth. He must work all of it off at the gym because the man didn’t look like he carried any fat on his chiselled body.
“My neighbor is loud,” she said quickly. She had to come up with something to tell him.
“What?” he asked in a low voice.
She sat up. “My neighbor. He’s a jerk. Always partying at night.”
“You call the cops?”
“No, of course not.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why would you say of course not? You had problems with the cops?”
“Me? No.” And that was the truth. “Just not necessary. It seems mean to call the police because of a bit of noise. I just have to work up the gumption to go upstairs and tell him to turn it down.”
And she would. Maybe Tuesday next year.
Yep, that sounded as good a time as any.
“You’re not doing that.”
“E-excuse me?”
“You know this neighbor well?”
“Um, not really. He’s lived above me for about three months. A guy in his early twenties. He likes to party. He also argues a lot with his sometimes-girlfriend. I don’t really get it.”
“Get what?”
“Why would you stay with someone you really didn’t like? I mean . . . they don’t just argue, they get really, really mean.”
“Baby,” he said in a soft voice.
She stared at him in surprise even as a warm glow filled her. Baby? He’d called her baby. No one had ever called her baby. And they definitely hadn’t called her baby while staring at her with gentle eyes.
“You called me baby,” she whispered.
“Sure did.”
“You really shouldn’t.”
“That so?” Now he looked amused. Sometimes, it was difficult to keep up with his changing moods.
She really wondered if he should get someone to take a look at his head for him. Split personality was no laughing matter.
“I lost you, Spitfire?”
“Um, how can you lose me when I’m right here?” she asked.
“You’d be surprised,” he muttered.
She would? What was he talking about?
“Now that I have you, I need you to listen to me. You listening?”
“Um, yes. I believe so.”
“No.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “No, what?”
“No. The answer is no. Are you going up to tell him to keep the noise down? No. When there is a party? No. When they’re fighting? No. Now do you see how no is the answer?”
“That really makes no sense. What if the question is should I put my seatbelt on in a moving car? Is the answer no then?”
“Don’t sass me.”
Huh? Was she sassing him? Well, okay, maybe a little.
“So you think I should just put up with them keeping me awake all night? Well, I suppose I can deal. I’ve been watching some really interesting infomercials. I’m thinking about trying this piece of exercise equipment for free for thirty days. Apparently, it will tighten my butt.” And her butt could use that.
“What’s the answer?”
Huh?
Oh. Wait.
“No?”
“That’s right. No.”
“I can’t buy the exercise equipment?”
“Baby, that stuff is a waste of time and money.”
Aww, he was calling her baby again. She melted.
“You want to go to the gym? I’ll take you to mine. But does your butt need any work?”
“Uh.” Yep, plenty.
“What’s the answer, Spitfire?”
Dear. Lord. He was out of control.
“No.”
“You’re getting it. I’ll take care of your neighbor.”
“Haha, sure you will.”
He just shot her a look. Oh, crap. Maybe she should have told him about the lawyer calling her. That would have been the smarter play here, turning him on some scummy lawyer instead of her scummy-but-knew-where-she-lived neighbor.
“That’s not necessary,” she said hastily.
“Consider it done.”
“I really don’t want to consider it at all,” she told him. “Because I don’t want that to happen. You cannot talk to my neighbor.”