I look at Cas and already know I’m going to regret ever bringing this up.
“With me.”
Cas and Ethan’s smirks return.
“Why didn’t you take her to Mom’s B&B? You know she would have loved to help out,” Ethan asks.
Cas just studies me.
“Closer to work this way.” I shrug. “Her car’s not working.”
Cas finally speaks up. “Far as I know, there isn’t a car you can’t fix.”
He brings his hand to his chin and makes a thinking gesture.
“Why is this any of your fucking business?” I ask, annoyed.
“Just seems weird… you, the town’s biggest player, the one who never takes a woman home or calls back, now offering his home to this girl…” Ethan cocks his head.
“And all this while he knows she could have stayed at the B&B,” Cas adds.
“Again, how is this any of your fucking business?”
I turn and leave, their snickers following me, their words leaving my head full of unanswered questions.
Why the fuck did I not bring her to the B&B?
CHAPTER 8
Alexis
Morning comes too early.
For a moment I lie still, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, disoriented. Then it all comes rushing back, the bar, karaoke night, Dex… I live here now. Well, for the next three months. The thought settles somewhere uneasy in my chest, edged with disbelief, like it still doesn’t quite belong to me.
A knot tightens in my stomach.
Today I need to open a new bank account.
The thought alone exhausts me. Explaining things to a stranger behind a desk. Pretending my own mother didn’t drain every cent I had saved.
I push the blanket aside and sit up with a sigh.
Coffee first. Then I’ll deal with the rest of my life.
The house is quiet when I step into the kitchen. Early morning light spills through the windows, painting the wooden floor gold.
I walk over to the coffee machine and manage to make myself a cup. The first sip is hot and bitter, but it does the job.
Okay. I need a plan.
I’ll walk to the gas station, fill a small tank, bring it back, and put enough gas in my car to get to the bank, hoping it works despite the warning lights that were blinking red on my dashboard like a countdown I couldn’t afford to lose. But first I need a shower, something clean to wear, and to look like someone who has her life together, even if it’s just on the surface.
Sounds simple enough.
After my shower, I stand in front of my small pile of clothes. Worn denim, soft from too many washes. A sweater that’s starting to lose its shape. My hoodie. And the same T-shirt I rinse out every night just to have something clean for work. It’s not much, but it’s what I have.
I would love to use the tips from yesterday to buy some clothes. Maybe some new shoes, seeing as my sneakers have holes and make my feet blister.
