Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Now, I just hoped whatever I had said to Toby wasn’t something too terrible. Because as annoying as his relentless texting had been yesterday, this was incredibly sweet. I hoped drunk me had taken that into consideration.
I set the sloth back down. “You need to stay in here because after all that panic, I need some time with Oz Jr. in my room to feel better,” I told the stuffed sloth.
My adrenaline high I’d gone through while thinking some psycho had broken into my apartment and left me a sloth, then going through possessed doll ideas in my head, which were ridiculous and I knew it, to the only reasoning being Toby had brought it while I was blind drunk had my body all tensed up.
Me, Oz Jr., and some fantasies without the image of the woman I’d seen on his arm last night would give me the endorphins I needed to restart and have a better rest of my day.
I had cleaned out my fridge, warming up the breakfast sandwiches and wrapping them in foil, then putting them with the other food items that Toby had brought, then left to go buy groceries. On my way, I stopped on the side of the road near the bridge where I knew several homeless people lived and dropped off the Toby food, not wanting to waste it. I had taken food there more than once. If I ever had too much and couldn’t eat it all before it ruined, that was where it went. I had found that place after asking around a couple of years ago.
Alec had thrown a big party at his parents’ house, and they had it catered. When I saw all the leftover food, I asked what he was going to do with it. It wasn’t going to fit in the refrigerator. He said his mom would have the house cleaner toss it. The thought of that made the phantom hunger pains from my childhood rear their ugly head, and I went into operation save the food mode. When I started packing up the before it was thrown in the trash, her house cleaner told me about the homeless families under the bridge. When I asked his mother if I could take it all them, she thought it was a lovely idea and said she never thought of it.
Seeing them and how grateful they were for the food would have been thrown into the trash, I had made it a point to do this every chance I had. The faculty Christmas party at school last year, I had asked the principal, Mr. Clairton, if it would be okay if I took them the leftovers, and he had all faculty be involved and drive out there. I’d hoped it was eye-opening for them and they’d do that instead of tossing out food that was still good.
Once that job was complete, I did my weekly grocery shopping while still trying to remember last night’s blank spots. I could have sworn I had seen five missed texts from Toby, but today, there were none. All his texts were gone. So, I had either deleted them on accident or because I’d said something that hurt his feelings and thought deleting his texts was for the best. There had been no text or calls from him today. I was thinking that was a bad thing. I thought about texting him, but what was I going to say? Sorry I was trashed and don’t remember your visit and what I said.
I could potentially get fired if he went and told Mr. Clairton I was an alcoholic who drank so much while at home alone that I didn’t even remember him stopping by. I was just going to leave it alone. See how he acted at work and roll with it. That was all I could do. But if I could just remember what I’d said to him, it would help.
While loading my groceries into my Beetle, I tried to think of anything else because I was tired of worrying over last night. What was done was done.
“Didn’t look like you were enjoying the fair yesterday,” a deep, familiar drawl startled me.
My eyes widened, and I slowly straightened from adjusting the bags in my trunk to turn and see Oz standing only feet away. The last time we had been in a parking lot together, I’d woken up in a basement.
“If you come any closer, I will scream,” I warned him.
I didn’t care that he was a one percenter and lived the posh life; he’d abducted me once and he could do it again. Now, I knew he’d get away with it and why. His family’s wealth and power protected him.
He frowned. “You still scared of me, darlin’?” he asked as if he was surprised to hear that the woman he’d taken, starved, and choked was shaken by his presence.