Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
I head down to her laundry room, searching for the black sweats she likes and slip those on. Then grab a T-shirt.
“You know,” she calls out, “you can start leaving your stuff in the bedroom instead of the laundry room.”
I laugh, tugging the shirt over my head as I make my way back into the kitchen.
She’s already at the stove, so I drop onto one of the stools at the counter and rest my elbows on the edge, watching her work. She slaps a thick slice of buttered bread onto the sizzling griddle, layers it with rounds of creamy cheese, and crowns it with another slice.
“Forgot I’d been officially upgraded to closet space,” I tease.
Without glancing away from the stove, she smiles. “So, how’d it go?”
While the sandwich sizzles on the griddle, she goes to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of sparkling water.
“It was kinda awkward at first. Heh. I discovered he was squatting at the hotel. I guess he stayed one night, then he was like, sleeping in the bathroom after dark, popping out in the morning to nab some food from the breakfast buffet, staying out for the day, then sneaking back in at night.”
Margot sets the bottle in front of me and leans against the counter, crossing her arms tight over her chest. “He was squatting at the hotel?” she repeats, her voice soft but edged with disbelief. “Sleeping in a bathroom? That’s awful.”
“Nah, it’s clever.” She and I see things so differently, don’t we? “He said it wasn’t that bad.”
Her nose wrinkles like she’s trying to hold back a wave of emotion. “No one should have to do that. Especially a kid.”
“He’s not a kid.”
“He’s still a teenager,” she insists.
“He’s a survivor.”
“It still…shouldn’t be that way,” she says.
“Well, it’s not anymore.” I uncap the water and take a sip. “He was really excited about the apartment.”
“I bet.” She hesitates. “Wait, so he’s there all alone in a new place now?”
I shrug. “I don’t think we’re at the sleepover stage of our relationship, yet. One step at a time.” I pick up my phone and glance at the screen. A few group chat notifications. Nothing I need to answer now. Nothing from Cain. “He has my number if he needs something.”
“Good.” A relieved smile spreads over her face. She slides a spatula under the sandwich and lifts it off the griddle, setting it onto a plate and cutting it into quarters with methodical precision.
Why didn’t I just listen to her? I didn’t have to get so prickly when she just wanted to help.
My mouth waters as she sets the sandwich plate in front of me, cheese spilling out of the sides. I pick up one of the quarters, instantly searing my fingers.
“Ow.” I drop it on the plate.
“It’s hot.” She waves her hand at the stove. “You saw it come off the griddle.”
“It looks too good, though.”
Laughing, she sets a small bowl of pickles and olives next to my plate. “I don’t really have anything else to go with it.”
“This is fine. You didn’t have to cook for me.”
“It’s a grilled cheese.” She rolls her eyes. “Not a prime rib.”
How’d I forget to tell her this part? “Speaking of. He wanted to go to Southwest Steakhouse for lunch.”
“Nice. I’ve only been there a few times, but the food was good from what I remember.”
“It was. Little shit ordered the most expensive thing on the menu.” I laugh, still amused by his brazenness. “All the extras.”
Concern, not humor, lines her expression. “Probably the most he’s eaten since he left home.”
That wipes the amusement off my face. “Maybe. He told me he thought it was a ‘fuck off’ lunch, and later admitted he ordered the big steak to get what he could out of me.”
“Awww.”
The warmth in her voice sinks into the darkest parts of my heart. “See, I told you he’s clever.”
“And a survivor.” She sips her own water. “What else did you do?”
“Took him shopping for a few things. The apartment’s furnished but he needed food—obviously.”
“Good call.”
“Took him to get a heavier coat, boots, sneakers, and some clothes for work.”
“That’s really sweet.”
“I can’t let my brother work at my friend’s place looking like a scruffy puppy I found under a bridge.”
“Jensen.” She drags out my name like a scolding.
“What? It’s true.” I chew a bite of sandwich and pop an olive in my mouth. “Still need to get his bike registered up here if he’s staying. Figure out how to get insurance for that crotch rocket. Gonna cost a fortune.”
“He’s lucky to have a road captain for a big brother.”
“Yeah, I guess,” I mutter, making a mental list of phone calls for tomorrow. “He was a little intimidated by the gym. But Sully’s a patient guy. His fiancée, Aubrey, is a sweetheart. Unless Cain’s a total dumbfuck, he’ll be fine there.”