Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
I huffed out a laugh and pinched her leg. “Nothing like that, sicko.”
“Uh huh,” she replied, unconvinced.
“I bitched him out,” I said with a sigh, leaning my head back. “Him and Curtis both.”
“They probably deserved it,” she replied loyally.
“Oh, they definitely deserved it.”
“It’s been a long time coming,” she said quietly, watching me. “You think we don’t see shit, but we do. Just because we’re your parents doesn’t mean that we missed how things went down, you know. If anything, it made us notice it more.”
“It’s not that big of deal.”
“Yeah,” she said, bumping me with her legs. “Yeah, it was.”
“I’m here, bitches!” Heather yelled out as she came through the front door, her kids swarming around her. “Now someone take these kids before I lose my effing mind.”
“Let ’em roam,” Rose replied, laughing as she sat up. “There’s enough eyes here to make sure they don’t get into too much trouble.”
“Go find your grandma and say hello before you trash her house,” Heather instructed the kids, giving her youngest daughter a light slap on the tush. She rounded the couch and dropped down on Grandpa Grease’s recliner. “Jesus, can you believe this shit?”
“Where’s Tommy?” Rose asked.
“He’s outside,” Heather replied. “Poor guy is moving slowly these days.”
“He finally did it?”
“Yep,” Heather said in satisfaction. “No more babies for me. He got snipped a couple days ago.”
“It’s about time,” I muttered.
“You know, you could have waited for me,” Tommy griped as he swung open the front door.
“I’m not moving like a snail because you can’t suck it up,” Heather replied.
“Where’s my mom?” he asked, moving through the room. “She’ll give me some sympathy.”
“Probably in the kitchen,” Rose replied. “If you ask her, she probably has some frozen peas for your balls.”
Tommy flipped her off over his shoulder as he shuffled away.
“I swear,” Heather said, rolling her eyes. “He’s such a baby.”
I laughed. The two of them were hilarious. Between the loud arguing and the constant quiet bickering, you’d think the two of them hated each other until the very public displays of affection proved that to be a lie.
“I’m going to head out,” I said, pushing up off the couch. “You want me to do anything before I go?”
“Nah,” Rose said, waving me off. “Enjoy having the house to yourself for a bit. I’m sure we’ll be here for a while.”
“Is it me?” Heather asked jokingly, smelling her armpit as I left the room.
All the older ladies were still in the kitchen visiting when I made the rounds and told everyone goodbye.
“You sure you don’t want to stay?” Farrah asked, giving me a hug. “It’s gonna be boring at home all by yourself.”
“It’s going to be quiet,” I corrected, making her laugh as I pulled away. “I’ll come back tomorrow. You know everyone will show up for breakfast.”
“Hell,” Grandma Callie said from her spot across the island. “That’s assuming anyone actually leaves tonight.”
“Good luck with that,” I called, waving as I headed toward the stairs.
The kids were all on the second floor, wrestling and playing and watching a movie, and I picked my way through the chaos to tell my brothers goodbye.
I found Charlie laying on my grandparents’ bed, staring at the ceiling.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked, sitting down next to her. “You want to go back to my parents’ house with me?”
“No, I’m gonna stay here tonight,” she replied with a small smile. “I like the noise.”
“You’re crazy.”
“It sounds like home,” she said with a shrug. “Plus, you know everyone’s gonna be drinking and playing cards later. I’m gonna make some money to recoup our lost wages from this week.”
“Yeah, right,” I scoffed.
“Hey, you don’t know,” she said, turning toward me. “I think I’m getting better at finding the old timers’ tells.”
“Are we talking about the same old timers that sit with zero expression on their faces unless they’re laughing at your frustration?” I asked.
“Shit, maybe they’ll feel sorry and let me win,” she replied. “You don’t know.”
“Good luck and Godspeed,” I said with mock seriousness.
“You’re really going back to your parents’?”
“Yeah.” I stretched my arms above me. “If I get bored, I can always come back.”
“See you in a couple hours,” Charlie replied knowingly.
“I’m going to be nose deep in a book, so probably not,” I sang as I moved toward the door. “Text me later?”
“Yep.”
Pulling my mask out of my pocket, I jogged down the stairs and out the front door. As soon as I was outside and confirmed that I really did still need the stupid thing, I put it back on. I’d just gotten into my car as Rose’s car pulled into a spot up the street. I waved at my dad as I drove away.
I’d left just in time because a few seconds later, I drove past Draco’s truck going in the opposite direction.