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I frowned. Was he not going to say anything in response to what I had told him? Did he not care that my life was in danger and that it would only be a matter of days, maybe even hours before Kendrick found me?
"Ben?"
"What do you think, seeing them all together like this? It's much easier to envision the completedkitchen. If you don't like them, I have more samples down in my truck. I can go get those," he said, staring at everything that lay on the counter.
"Ben? Aren't you going to say anything?"
Ben let out a breath and placed his arms on the counter in front of him, his forearms and biceps flexing. "Jess, I said something once, long ago, that I shouldn't have said. My words took you away from me, and I learned an important lesson from it. So, I'm not about to interfere again. This isn't my problem to solve. So, as much as I hate the fact that he has put his hands on you, and that he treats you the way you say he does, I can't get involved again. I'm here for a renovation, nothing more."
"Seriously?" I was dumbfounded. He wasn't even going to help me.
"Yes." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but stopped before he could say the words.
"What? What were you going to say?" I glared at him as he kept his face down on the tile samples in front of him.
"I will not do or say anything because watching you walk away from me the first time was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. It was harder on me than having to bury my father." Once those words had passed his lips and left me in a state of shock, he picked up the tile samples, stacking them together, slipped his shoes on, and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
Chapter 13
Ben
Opening the fridge door, I stood staring at a bunch of empty shelves debating on what to have for dinner. I pulled out a jar of dill pickles and opened it to find mold covering the lid. I apparently needed to do a grocery run. Dumping the juice off the pickles, I put the lid back on the jar and dumped it into the garbage can.
My mind hadn't shut off since I left Jess's place over two hours ago. I needed to get it through my head that she wasn't my problem anymore. She had thrown me away a long time ago, and for her now to turn to me for help wasn't fair.
I looked back in the fridge at the empty shelves and then slammed the fridge door shut, still hearing her words “he's controlling and abusive.” They rang through my mind loud and clear. I balled my fists. It didn't matter if she wasn't my problem. I could look the other way on the cheating part, but I detested men who laid their hands on women. Just ask my sister.
I went back to the fridge and pulled out the only thing edible in my apartment: a cold beer. I twisted the cap off, took a long swig, letting the cool liquid slide down my throat, and flopped down on the couch. Reaching for the remote, I turned on the Titans game and did my best to get lost in anything other than Jess's issues.
A harsh knock on the back door caused me to jump and drop the remote on the floor. I glanced at the clock. It was almost eight. "Come in," I yelled from where I lay, sure that it was probably Glenn or one of the other guys from work.
I heard the door squeak open, reminding me of something else that should be addedto the already extensive list of things I had to fix. I made a mental note to get that taken care of over the weekend, when the smell of pizza hit my nose, and my stomach let out a loud groan.
"Hey, just me," Julie yelled. "Did you forget? You were supposed to meet me tonight at O'Hara's?"
"Fuck! Sorry, Jules. I got a little sidetracked," I said, forcing myself up off the couch and meeting my sister in the kitchen.
"It's fine. I brought pizza and wings to you instead. I figured you got caught up in something, but it would have been nice for you to call me or something. Instead, I sat there waiting for you for an hour."
It had totally slipped my mind that my sister and I had dinner plans. I walked into the kitchen and flipped open the pizza box, grabbing a slice while my sister grabbed plates from the cupboard. Her eyes fell to the stack of dirty dishes that lined the counters, and then she turned and looked me over, watching as a piece of pepperoni fell onto my chest, which I grabbed and shoved in my mouth.
"Jesus, you look like shit! Here, have a plate." She giggled and thrust the plate at me. "You probably should clean this place up, you know. It's a sty. Honestly, for a guy who is looking for a girlfriend, you'd think you'd keep your place clean."
"Thanks! Always loved your compliments. Since when did you become my keeper anyway?"
Jules completely ignored me while I loaded my plate with pizza and wings. While she loaded hers, I grabbed two beers from the fridge, pulled the chair out, and sat down at the table, twisting off the two caps and handed her a bottle.
"So what happened?" she asked, taking the beer from my hand.
"Apparently, I'm a shitty-looking guy who lives in a sty. What do you mean, what happened?"
"You stood me up, for starters, but in all seriousness, you look like you've been put through the mill. I know your day wasn't that tough, since I'm the one who scheduled it, so what gives?"
The last thing I wanted to do was talk about Jess, but I knew it was inevitable with my sister. She would poke, prod, and pry until I had spilled everything! The fact that she hadn't asked me more than she already had surprised me.
"Something happen between you and Jess?"
I threw my slice of pizza down on the plate and brought the beer bottle up to my lips. "Guess you could say that." I guzzled down half the bottle and looked at my sister.
