“Fine.” She huffs. It makes me wonder what the deal is with my father and Mona. She seems to listen to him. It doesn’t explain why she’s so terrible to me, though. “That’s all I can tell you. He told me he was leaving town.” She adds, “His vacation was over.”
That can’t be right. It makes no sense. Why would he tell her anything? Why does she keep mentioning his vacation like that?
“I don’t believe you.” Why would I?
“That sounds like a personal problem.” Mona reaches back and places her hand on her front door, shutting it in our faces without another word.
“She’s such a b—witch.”
“She’s got issues,” my dad grumbles.
“Tell that to all the people she’s evicting.”
“I heard.”
See? Man of very few words.
“Let’s go.” I follow him back to my truck. I watch as he opens the passenger door. When the two of us are inside, he reaches out and touches my forearm before I can start Toni up. “Any man who’d leave you like that and not give you his telephone number, well, he ain’t worth nothing. You deserve the best, Velma Lou.” He holds up one finger. “The. Best.”
“I know.” I say it sighing at the same time. The thing is, there’s no such things as “The. Best.” Not when it comes to guys. “Thanks, Dad.”
“You’re welcome.”
I intended to drop him off and head back to the house, but I’m suddenly exhausted. I end up heading upstairs to my attic space. Falling onto the bed, shoes and all, I grab a quilt I’ve got lying across the bottom and cover myself. I don’t know how long it takes me to fall asleep, but it’s not long.
CHAPTERTWENTY
LOU
“Velma Lou?”
I hear his voice, but I ignore him because I’m not ready to wake up just yet.
“Velma Lou?”
Shit. My father isn’t giving up. Opening one eye, I blink up at him. “Yeah?”
“You need to get up.”
“Why?” I’ve barely gotten to sleep. “Is something wrong?”
“You’ve been asleep for a full day.”
Frowning, I look down at myself. I’ve still got on the clothes from earlier. One of my shoes is off, but the other is still there. “I haven’t been asleep all day.” Doesn’t he remember going to Mona’s?
“You went to take a nap yesterday. I checked on you last night to make sure you weren’t sick or something, but you were out like a light. I let you sleep, but then morning came and went. If you’re sick, we need to get you in to see the doc. Of not, you need to get your ass out of bed, Velma Lou.”
I’m still confused even after my father’s dissertation because I can tell you with absolute certainty that those were the most words he’s ever said strung together like that in his entire life. “I’ve been sleeping since yesterday?”
“You have. Are you ill?”
I blink and think. Am I feeling ill? Shaking my head, I push myself up and then swing my legs over the side of my bed. I’m stiff and sore, yes. But I don’t feel ill. “I’m not sick, Dad.”
“Well, good. Now, get your ass up. That stupid show’s about to start. Bella’s on her way over here.”
Bella. That show.Chase.
My head starts to pound, my stomach flips, and reality returns. I remember. Chase has a disconnected phone number. He shook hands with Mona. He didn’t like me the same way I liked him. He didn’t care about me. I was a fling. No one wants me. No one has ever wanted me.
