She seems to like you.
Me
Nope. Hates me more than she did yesterday.
Lowesy
You have a talent for fucking things up, Fork.
Me
Please, still love me.
Lowesy
Always.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
arden
Carter
Sorry if I offended you. Thanks for the save, Red.
I stareat the text for longer than I care to admit. I’m still mad. That's why I don’t answer him. I saw the way his face changed when he turned into my neighbourhood. I felt him get all weird and stiff because he hadn’t realized I was broke. Like, the real kind of broke. He acted like the streets were littered with gun-wielding criminals that we had to physically drive over to get to my front door.
Rich people are so out of touch.
It’s notthatbad. Living there has its moments. More break-ins than I’d like. Lots of robberies. I’ve never been a victim of either, but they happen. Still, I’ll walk around outside with no problem. I barely have any issues. Most of the faces I see are familiar, and we’re all friendly enough. I don’t live in fear. It’s just…a different tax bracket than Carter might be accustomed to. A large majority of my neighbours are good people.
I run a hand through my hair, read the text again, and huff out a breath.
“My god, just answer him,” Whitney begs, sipping her apple juice.
We’re in the cafeteria on our lunch break. I’ve been glowering at my phone for most of it, barely listening to her talk.
“No.”
“Youdolive in a shitty area,” she reminds me. “It’s natural to worry. I worry about you all the time.”
“I didn’t like the look on his face,” I admit, sipping my own apple juice. I wish it were acceptable to have a glass of wine on your lunch break before you tend to sick and injured people. “Pure concern and all judgement.”
She shrugs. “You’re a single woman. I think it was sweet that he was concerned.”
I roll my eyes.
“I think this is more of a ‘you’ problem,” she continues. “An insecurity.”
“That I’m poor?” I ask.
She shakes her head, curt and considerate. “No. That you worry people will think it says something about you. It doesn’t, by the way.”
I just scoff, locking my phone for good measure. “Whatever.”
“Plus, he apologized.”
“So?”
