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Chapter Six

Tatum

After wiping the sheen of sweat from my forehead, I brace my hands on the open, half-packed box in front of me and sigh as I gaze around the living room of my apartment. I’ve been here for a few hours now and I’ve gotten everything I want to take with me packed up. My clothes and shoes are crammed into two boxes and thankfully, all my bathroom stuff fit into a smaller box. The three bookshelves in the living room are cleared out and all my books are safely packed away as well as all the photos off the walls. The only thing left is to decide what to do with the furniture and dishes.

Mom’s house doesn’t really have the storage space for them and even though I can afford to, it seems silly to pay for a storage unit when I don’t really want this stuff. I don’t want to be wasteful though. Sighing again, I sink into the dining room chair. I suppose maybe the new tenant can use it. It’s in fairly good shape and who can say no to free furniture, right?

Grabbing my soda off the table, I take a drink and lean back in the chair, thinking over the last few years. Between my job at the diner and the gas station, I’ve worked at least ten hours almost every day and it’s taken a toll on me. I can’t remember the last time I got my hair cut and if a stylist saw my ends, she might shriek in horror. I was in high school the last time I had money to get my nails done and I haven’t eaten out at a restaurant since I started working at the diner. Hell, I don’t even have a damn car.

Maybe Theo was right and it’s time for me to make a few purchases but spending any of that money feels wrong. I’ve gone so long without, that I’m plagued by indecision – half of me wanting to treat myself and the other half eager to horde it away for a rainy day. What the hell kind of rainy day requires half a million dollars though? Maybe I could afford to splurge a little and save money. I know one thing for certain, I’m enrolling in school as soon as possible.

After I graduated high school, I scoffed at the idea of going to school. I was cocky and thought I knew what I was doing when I got a job at a department store and moved out of my mother’s house. Very quickly I realized that it wasn’t that easy but I was stubborn and kept fighting. Just when I was about to lose everything, I met Beth. She was an escort and told me how I could make triple what I was making at the department store just by going out on dates with men. Believe me, I was appalled at first but when she explained that there was absolutely no sex involved, it seemed like the perfect solution. For three years, I went out with various men and got paid to let them wine and dine me until one night when Beth showed up on my doorstep with a bloody face. One of the men had gotten angry when she told him that she wouldn’t be sleeping with him and I knew the money wasn’t worth the danger I was putting myself in.

As soon as I got her all bandaged up, I called all my dates for that week and canceled – indefinitely. I’d managed to save up a little money but I knew it wouldn’t last long so I quickly got to work searching for another job and landed at the diner. Only two weeks later, it became clear that even that wouldn’t be enough so I got the second job at the gas station. I also had to move out of my apartment and find something cheaper, which is how I ended up here. Releasing a breath, I look around the room again.

I can’t believe how much my life has changed in a little more than a week. Ten days ago, I was walking through this shitty neighborhood at night, hoping I didn’t get mugged or worse and now, I’ve got a beautiful house in a safe part of town, I have money to finally go to school and my mom is gone. It feels so wrong that every other part of my life is looking up when she’s not here to see it but I guess that’s what she wanted. She did everything she could to take care of Theo and me for years after she was gone. Tears well up in my eyes as the alarm of my phone goes off and I quickly wipe them away, pushing off the chair.

Kodiak, the man interested in taking over the lease, will be here any minute and I need to get these boxes down to the truck that I borrowed from Roger. Pushing the sleeves of my long sleeved t-shirt up, I lean down and pick up one of the lighter boxes before navigating to the door and slowly going down the steps. When I get out to the truck, I set it in the back and shove it toward the cab before dusting my hands off on my jeans. There, one down and only six more to go. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out as I step up onto the sidewalk and turn toward my door. Stepping forward, I crash right into someone and my phone falls to the pavement as I let out a squeak of surprise.

“Shit,” I mutter as two large hands wrap around my arms and I look up. “I’m so… You!”

Lincoln, the man from the diner a few nights ago flashes me a lazy smile as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the side of the truck.

“You.”

“What are you doing here?” I ask as I lean down and scoop up my phone, inspecting the screen for cracks.

“I’m here to meet someone about taking over a lease.”

My head whips up and my mouth drops open. “Oh my god, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I take it that’s you.”

“Did you do this on purpose?” I ask, flashing back to the other night when he asked me for my number. He frowns, looking sexier than any man has a right to, and tilts his head to the side.

“And how would I have done this on purpose?”

“Well,” I hum, deciding to have a little fun with this. “You’re clearly a stalker.”

His eyes widen and he takes a step back, holding his hands out in front of him as he starts choking on nothing. “No, it’s not like that.”

“Dude, it was a joke, not a dick. Don’t take it so hard.”

My comment earns more surprised coughing that turns into a laugh and he stares at me like I’m crazy for a moment before shaking his head. With a smile slowly creeping across his face, he takes a step toward me and presses his big, hard body against mine.

“I promise you, Darlin’, I don’t roll like that.”

My lips part and my body floods with warmth as my heartbeat races in my chest. A musky scent surrounds us and my hand trembles as I fight the urge to lean in and take a deep breath.

“Isn’t that what they all say?” I whisper, my entire body aching for him to reach out and touch me again like he did at the diner. His golden gaze locks with mine as his smile grows and he trails the tips of his fingers down my arm.

“Want a demonstration?”

My mind has no trouble conjuring up images of the two of us wrapped up in sheets while he does just that and I lean into him, licking my lips just as a car horn pierces through the air. I stumble back and draw air into my burning lungs.

“So, um… the apartment?” I ask, my voice squeaking and I manage to not wince at how embarrassed I am right now. He drops his head for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah. Let’s check it out.”