Page 9 of Thunder

I tried to sleep as much as I could, but I failed. I kept waking up every hour knowing I had to work tonight and the next three nights before beginning another twenty-four-hour shift at the hospital.

I’m exhausted, and the constant calls from my mother aren’t helping with my sleep either.

After she exploded on my voicemail when I refused to put my sister before my job, it was radio silence for a lovely whole month. It was bliss, despite finding my nephew in my home every time I got there because my sister is a neglectful bitch. After a blissful month of peace, the calls started from Mama again.

Apparently, Rachel had found old pictures of Kavan and me in his home office, and I was at fault somehow. I have had barely any contact with Kavan since I found him screwing my sister on prom night and each time he’s tried to speak to me when he’s popped up at the hospital I’ve walked away. What basically started a war was that Kavan had a vasectomy, so while my sister was trying to get pregnant again, Kavan was firing blanks, and I only know this because of the constant voicemails from my mother. Heck, even Lorenzo blamed me when my sister found the report.

According to Lorenzo, who showed up on my front doorstep, waking me from my sleep after a twenty-four hour shift a few months ago, our sister went off the pill without Kavan knowing. After a few months of nothing, her suspicions upped, which is when she went snooping.

So right now, Mama is pissed at me, my brother is calling me a home wrecker even though I have no contact with basically all of them. I only watch my nephew most weekends when I’m not working, picking him up from school then taking him to school on the Monday. All to be accused my sister who is raging mad believing I’m having an affair with her husband who I again, ignore.

I swear my family is just pathetic, and all this negative treatment because I wanted to be a doctor, I mean, you’d think they’d be proud, right?

Ha!

Shaking my head, I grab the empty box and flat pack it before putting it on the pile I’ve already created. I pick them all up together before walking towards the back of the shop, using my back to push open the back exit. I put the cardboard in the recycling bin. I sigh heavily as I look up and notice the sun starting to peak through the buildings.

I’m going to burn out at some point. I can feel it, and the hardest part is I’m only halfway through paying off my student loans, and I can feel myself slowly fading.

I think I resent my family. My brother lives at home with his nasty wife, living off our parents' wealth despite owning a home. My sister gets an allowance that pays for her home after our parents put her through law school, and then there’s me, struggling.

Huffing, I walk back inside, knowing I only have a few minutes until I can leave and hopefully try to get some sleep, but I silently groan at seeing Dino, the store owner's son, behind the till, looking over the books.

Crap, I forgot he was on shift today.

Ever had attention from someone so persistent that it makes your skin crawl and won’t take the hint when you turn them down? No, just me then?

I’ve been employed at Prince’s convenience since I was fourteen, stocking shelves. Before that, I did the paper route because my parents never gave me money. I had to fend for myself, but anyway, since starting here, Dino has taken, I guess the right word is a shine to me, and the man doesn’t seem to want to take no as an answer.

Eyeing the office door where my bag is, I slowly head that way, hoping he doesn’t hear me, but unfortunately my tired self is not that lucky as he calls, “Hey, pretty girl…”

Seriously? Pretty girl? That is a new one. Last week I was baby.

“Hey Dino,” I say, giving him a tight smile, “I’m just going to grab my bag.”

He nods as his piercing blue eyes take in my black collared tee and denim shorts, and I try not to shiver with disgust at the lust that overtakes his features as I hurry to the office.

“The sooner I pay off my loans, the freaking better,” I mutter to myself as I grab my bag and jacket before I take a deep breath, ready to face the douche. Sammie called him that the few times that I’ve had to bring him to work because my sister was too busy to pick him up from school.

Eyeing the door, I grumble under my breath and walk out, only to silently curse when I notice Dino standing on the other side of the counter.

Why am I not surprised?

I plaster on a fake smile, seeing his attention on the office door, his eyes instantly coming my way as I put my bag strap on my shoulder.

“You off to sleep?” he confirms as I walk his way, which happens to be right near the door.

A sarcastic response is on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it and mumble, “Yeah, I’m back again tonight.”

He hums as he eyes my body yet again. I swallow a sarcastic comment, like you know, maybe claiming sexual harassment at work.

He’s the owner's son, so whatever complaint I make, it’ll be me that gets fired, not him. At the moment, this is the only job that is willing to work around my residency. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I could just have my residency, but then I’d be up my eyeballs in student loans longer, and I wouldn’t be able to buy my home.

“What are you doing this weekend?” he asks as I get to the door and I give him another tight smile.

“I have my nephew,” I admit, not lying because I do, because again, it isn’t his fault his parents are assholes.

“You seem to have him a lot,” he grunts, and I swear if I keep this tight smile in place, then it’s going to stick.