Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 73043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
A second.
“Hold on,” I said more forcefully when he went to leave again.
That’s when I realized he knew exactly who I was.
And maybe had known the entire time.
I winked at him and walked up to the counter. “I’ll have a black coffee, large. Oh, and a blueberry muffin.”
The barista’s eyes furrowed, but she went to make the order, handing it to me a moment later.
I turned around and handed them to Rafe, and then offered the lady my card.
The lady glared at me.
I smiled, then narrowed my eyes.
Before she knew what was happening, I was at the counter and in the stupid bitch’s face.
“Do you have any idea what this man has done to ensure that you can say stupid shit like you just said?”
The barista leaned back in affront. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, lady. How could you speak to him like that?” I hissed. “You don’t know him, or what he’s been through. He asked for something to drink, not your goddamn liver.”
“Excuse me?” the barista repeated.
Was that all the stupid girl could think up to say?
“Give him his freakin’ drink if he ever comes around again. Now, I’d like an amaretto latte,” I ground out, but stopped when the barista carefully reached for a cup. “No. Not you. Her.”
The ‘her’ was actually a woman behind the bar that was counting the money. She looked like the manager or something and looked like she would rather not get into this argument.
“I’m sorry, but I’m counting the till. I can’t stop until I’m done.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll wait.”
That’s when I felt Rafe’s dark eyes on me, and I blushed.
I actually meant to hide this entire time and not let him see me.
Why? Because when Rafe saw me, he left. Literally, he saw me coming, and he’d turn the other way. He’d avoided me for seven years like that, and I was beginning to think that it was something about me that he didn’t like.
“Uh, hi.” I waved. “How are you?”
I would’ve slapped myself on the forehead had he not been watching me with those blank, nearly black eyes.
“Fine,” he answered, sounding so good that it physically hurt my heart.
I swallowed. “Are you going to drink that coffee?”
He shook his head.
I sighed and turned, seeing both women watching us.
“Your boss will be hearing about this,” I informed them both, slapping down a ten. “I’d possibly start looking for another job.”
The manager sneered. “You can try.”
Oh, I would try.
Even if I had to plant evidence on that bitch’s computer saying that she’d been stealing.
I didn’t fight fair when it came to the ones I cared about.
I wasn’t playing around.
Not when it came to how somebody treated a soldier.
I turned on my heels, still fuming, and froze.
Because Rafe wasn’t there anymore.
He was just gone.
My heart sank, and my eyes started to burn.
He’d left.
I took a deep breath and blew it out, then returned to where I’d left Kayla.
I found her gathering up what was left of our signs, and then stowing them in a black trash bag that we’d use for the next time we came and did this.
“You almost ready?” I asked.
Kayla looked up, glanced around, and tilted her head. “No Rafe?”
I shook my head. “No Rafe.”
She frowned. “Usually you don’t get made that fast.”
I started to laugh. “The barista at the coffee shop was a total bitch. I had to have a few words with her and ended up exposing myself.”
Kayla just shook her head. “Ready?”
I nodded and we both started out, her holding the trash bag of signs, and me holding my purse and Kayla’s.
Luckily the box with the goody bags was empty, meaning we weren’t struggling like we were when we’d come in here earlier in the day.
“Did you see the woman who had to be carted off by her husband earlier?” Kayla asked as we started into the parking lot.
“No, what happened?” I questioned, digging in Kayla’s purse for my keys.
“You’re in my purse, dummy,” Kayla sighed.
I grunted and switched purses, coming up with my keys as I listened to Kayla explain what had happened.
“The woman was apparently in labor for like, five hours. But she wanted to meet her husband who was coming home from an eight-month deployment, so she just ignored them. When her husband showed, they kissed and smiled and laughed, and then her water broke all over his combat boots.
Gross.
“I was standing next to her earlier,” I admitted. “I’m glad that she didn’t do that to me. I’d have started crying.”
I looked down at my flip-flop clad feet and grinned.
I didn’t wear shoes anywhere if I could help it.
Then again, if I could help it, I didn’t even leave the house.
Sometimes there were periods that I went two entire weeks without leaving.
It got to the point where I hired a lady to come clean my house—who also cleaned some of the other houses in the Free compound—and to bring my groceries.