Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Otto huffed. “She’ll never go for it.”
“I told her she’d be the housekeeper—”
“You fuckin’ dick.”
“Because she can’t pay rent right now,” I continued placatingly, my hands still raised in front of my chest. “She didn’t want charity.”
“You think that hirin’ your old girlfriend, who just came from a seriously fucked up situation to be your fuckin’ servant is the right move to make in this scenario?” he snapped in disbelief.
I jerked back in surprise. Is that honestly what he thought of me? That I was taking advantage of Noel? That I’d ever take advantage of her?
“I was thinkin’,” I replied tightly. “That I was givin’ her a way to get her and the girls out of the single tiny ass bedroom they’re livin’ in without makin’ her feel like a charity case.”
Otto stared at me, expressionless.
“I was also thinkin’ that the whole point of gettin’ her away from that fuckin’ church and that fuckin’ family was so that she could make her own goddamn life choices.” I ground my teeth as I set the bottle on the counter. “Thanks for the beer. Tell Noel that I’ll be over tomorrow to talk about shit.”
Otto called my name as I walked back through the house, but I didn’t stop. I was too close to punching him just to wipe that goddamn look off his face. That motherfucker. What, was he worried that if Noel moved out they wouldn’t have their own live-in help anymore?
I knew the thought wasn’t fair to them. They’d taken Noel in, no questions asked, but I was livid.
I was still fuming as I walked in my house a few minutes later, the ride not cooling me down at all.
“You’re back early,” Myla called from the living room, arching her back over the couch to look at me. “Where’s the fire?”
“Kids went to bed,” I replied, too keyed up to sit, but not ready to lock myself in my room yet. I considered putting on some gym clothes and going a couple rounds with the bag, but I wasn’t sure if that would even help.
Everyone was crowded around the living room watching some action movie that they’d paused when I came inside.
“You’re pissed,” Myla said, frowning. “What’s up?”
“Otto’s bein’ a dick.”
“Otto’s always being a dick,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “That’s nothing new. What happened?”
“I asked Noel to move in here—”
“Say what now?” Cian asked, leaning forward.
“I think you’re going to need to uh, explain a little more than that,” Myla said slowly.
“She’s livin’ in one of Otto’s tiny ass bedrooms with both the girls,” I replied, scrubbing my hands over my face. I knew how nuts I sounded. “And Esther and Otto have got their hands really fuckin’ full right now. When I got to the house, Noel was sittin’ outside with the baby—”
“Ansel?” Myla asked.
“Diana,” I clarified. “She was asleep, but she’d obviously been cryin’ ’cause she was doin’ that little hiccuping thing, you know.”
“Aw,” Lou murmured.
“Don’t know what happened, but Noel told me she needed to move. That there’s too many people in that tiny fuckin house—I coulda told you that—and she needed to find a place but she’s fuckin’ stuck. She’s got no income, no way of gettin’ income because she’s got two small kids and another on the way and what the fuck is she supposed to do with them while she gets a job—”
“Has she signed up for—”
I cut Frankie off before she could even finish her sentence. “She’s signed up for every-fuckin’-thing. There’s a two year wait on low income housin’.”
“Figures,” Lou muttered. “Most social programs need a serious overhaul.”
“Let’s get back to the part where you asked her to move in here,” Cian said flatly.
“We’ve got the space,” I snapped.
“You’re talkin’ about havin’ a woman and two small kids and pretty soon a baby move in here,” he shot back. “You didn’t think to ask—”
“It’s my fuckin’ house,” I barked.
“Okay, let’s roll it back a little,” Myla said, raising her voice as she glared at Cian and then me. “You offered to let Noel move in here with the girls. Alright. What did she say?”
“She doesn’t want to take advantage,” I replied. Cian made a noise, but for once in his life kept his fucking mouth shut. “So, I told her she could be the housekeeper. Work for room and board, that kind of thing.”
Myla smiled.
“What?” I practically shouted.
“It’s just very…like you to make that kind of offer not even realizing the social implications or you know, your roommates that already live here.”
“What the fuck are you talkin’ about?”
“You want your ex-girlfriend to move in with you as your maid,” she explained slowly.
“Why the fuck—” I was ready to blow. Did my siblings really think I was such a piece of shit?
“Titus,” Myla yelled, cutting me off. She lowered her voice. “Come on. This is me. I know you have the best intentions. You want to help her out, so you figured out a way to make her feel like she was contributing. I get it.”