Page 52
“…before I decided to turn around and tase him.”
Willow starts laughing, Lexi shakes her head, and Mia gasps.
“Jesus Christ, Tate. You can’t just go around tasing people.”
My brow furrows and I shoot a glare in her direction. “Why does everyone keep saying that to me? The asshole made me feel like I could open up to him, share my pain with him and hope for something more for the first time in a long time and I’m the bad guy for shocking him?”
“Well, it’s a little dramatic,” Lexi interjects and I roll my eyes.
“I didn’t shoot him, okay? And I could have because I had a gun in the glove box but the situation didn’t warrant it. Don’t act like I’m some crazy deranged person. The punishment fit the crime.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Mia whispers, turning to her menu and flipping it open. “Normal people don’t go around tasing people for things, Tate.”
“Well, maybe they should. Folks would be less likely to be assholes if there was a threat of tasing.”
Willow chuckles under her breath. “So, I take it you haven’t heard from him since?”
“Nope. And I don’t expect to.”
“He just called you,” Mia snaps, pointing to my phone and I shrug.
“So? I didn’t answer and I won’t answer. He’s dead to me.”
“Well, rest in peace to your non relationship then,” she says, holding her glass in the air and I do the same before taking a sip of water.
“I wouldn’t write him off just yet,” Lexi points out and I shake my head.
“I already have and I’m focused on other things.”
Mia leans back in the chair and crosses her arms over her chest. “Like what?”
“Like talking to Roger about getting more hours at the diner and getting registered for college.”
“Tate,” Lexi exclaims, looking bewildered. “How the hell are you going to work more hours at the diner, work at the gas station, and enroll in school? When will you sleep?”
“Oh,” I murmur, thinking back to yesterday when I stormed out of the store and quit my job. I also haven’t told the girls about the money my mom left me either. The only person I shared that with was… Lincoln. “I quit at the gas station.”
“Why?”
I suck in a breath. “I didn’t have much choice when Reed cornered me in the back room and tried to blackmail me into giving him a blowjob.”
“Oh, fuck,” Mia whispers.
“Shit,” Willow says and Lexi shakes her head. Mia grabs my arms and turns me to face her, her eyes wide.
“This is important, Tate. Did you kill him?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “No. Because I told you, I’m not some deranged person. Y’all have no faith in me.”
“No, sweetie. I have infinite faith in your abilities to defend yourself. I worry about your temper sometimes though.”
Shrugging, I shake off her grip and grab my water, taking a sip. “Whatever. No one’s died yet.”
She turns to the group with those wide eyes again. “Yet. She fucking said “yet”. I feel like I need to ground you from your guns or something.”
“Stop it,” I scold through my giggles. I’ve been in a sour mood for the past three days but only twenty minutes with my girls has turned that all around. “Tell me all about your love lives now.”
As Willow launches into her latest dating adventure, I sit back in my seat and let my gaze roam around the table to each girl as a smile forms on my face. Yeah, they may not understand what it feels like to lose a parent but these girls are my rocks and they are here for me unconditionally so fuck Lincoln. I don’t need him.
