Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
But here I was, humbled.
“Come on,” I said to Rooster. “Let’s go back to the people.”
Rooster led the way, almost as if he knew which people I wanted to go to when I could clearly hear that there were two sets of groups now.
I could hear Gee’s voice off by himself, likely talking on the phone, and Trance and his daughter’s voice talking toward where I assumed was the front porch of the house.
It was when I was about halfway there that I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, causing me to sigh.
Instead of continuing to walk, I made a detour back to Gee’s truck as I told Rooster where I was headed. Once there, I stopped to lean against the vehicle, and felt Rooster do the same, but against me.
I was pretty much pinned between him and the truck, which made me smile.
The vibration came again, reminding me of the message from Joseph.
I’d set specific vibrations to specific people.
Mom’s vibration was a heartbeat.
Dad’s, a constant tapping.
Joseph’s vibration was an SOS vibration.
Therefore, when it did the SOS vibration, I didn’t ask Siri to read the messages to me—at least not usually. But today I was in a good mood, therefore I figured the best time to listen to whatever horse shit he came up with that day would be now.
“Siri,” I said into what I thought was the quiet afternoon where I stood leaning against Gee’s truck.
“First message is from Joseph,” Siri read. “Why are you like this?”
I laughed.
I couldn’t help it.
At some point this morning Joseph had called me, then texted me when I didn’t answer his calls. In the call, he suggested that we try the relationship thing again.
I’d explained that I wasn’t really interested in trying anything ever again with him, and he’d then bombarded me with texts.
I’d let Siri read through all of them when I sent out:
Phew, that was a really hard escape room.
His reply had come not moments later. Siri had read in the most robotic voice ever:
That was our relationship.
The texts from him had continued—once Joseph set his mind on something, he didn’t stop.
Yet, I’d ignored them.
Siri then read the second text that he’d sent moments earlier:
I’ll get you back one way or another. You might as well make it the easier of the two ways and just agree.
“Siri,” a dark, angry voice said. “Reply to text.”
“What would you like it to say?” Siri asked.
“Go fuck yourself. I have someone that treats me better than you did, that is better in bed than you were, and actually knows how to treat a woman. Why would I ever go back to something so subpar?” Gee’s liquid smoke voice drawled.
“Sending,” Siri replied.
My mouth was agape. “You know, that’ll only make him try harder. He doesn’t like to lose.”
He curled his hand around my hip and said, “The fucker literally changed your entire life when he left you on the mountain. But another thing he did was put you under my protection. And though we may not be seeing each other like I want us to, it doesn’t mean that I won’t protect you from afar.”
That made my belly burst into butterflies.
“You don’t have to watch out for me, Gee,” I admitted, looking at what I thought was his face. “I…” He took my face and rotated it a few degrees so that I was facing him. “Can take care of myself.”
“Is that why you haven’t left your house in a month?” he questioned.
I snapped my mouth shut.
“Your mom told me in the hospital that you’re terrified of being alone,” Gee said.
I sighed. “I was…am. Was.”
I didn’t know what I was anymore.
“Resigned, maybe. But you still don’t like to be alone,” he said. “And since it literally breaks something inside of me when I know you’re up there, afraid to leave, I brought you here to get a dog.”
I clenched my fists to keep myself from reaching out to touch him. “Do you like him?”
I found my fist unclenching and moving down to the dog’s head that was at the same level as Garrett’s hand on my hip. “Yes.”
“Then we’re getting him,” he said. He caught my hand and said, “Let’s go talk numbers with Trance.”
Too stunned to come up with an excuse to keep the conversation going, I allowed him to guide me all the way up to the porch where the rest of them were sitting, talking quietly.
“There’s a chair right here,” he said as he placed my hand on it.
But Rooster took over, guiding me to the chair with practiced ease.
Everyone was quiet until I was fully seated.
It was Pace, Oakley’s husband, that said, “Looks like you found a match.”
I placed my hand on Rooster’s soft head and scratched him behind the ears as I said, “Yep. Now, let’s talk numbers.”
If I die after I pay my rent, make sure that y’all leave me til the 30th.