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"You look like you've been crying. Want to talk about it?" she asks, cutting up her sandwich at the kitchen counter.
I bite my lip for a brief second. "Nope."
"Fair enough. I'm here if you do, though," she replies, leaning past me to put the cheese and tomato back into the fridge.
I grab the milk and close the fridge door, reaching for a cup. I can feel her eyes on me, and out of respect, I feel obligated to answer.
"I appreciate that. Just a bad day."
Carmen hums appreciatively. "We all have them. One day at a time… well, even one hour at a time. Sometimes, the hours drag on."
I chuckle, taking a sip from my glass, before putting the milk back. "That they do."
Jeremy walks into the kitchen, singing Sia under his breath. "Guys… you won't believe what I found out today."
"Our resident gossip queen, keeping us up to date as usual," Carmen laughs.
I fight back a smile, but it's useless. Their energy is contagious, even on the worst of days.
"Neville from the hardware shop said one of the school teachers had an affair with a student!"
My nose wrinkles up as I look over at Jeremy. "Did you go to this school?"
He nods. "We all did. It's the only school for miles. There's not even a college anywhere in decent driving range."
"Let me guess," I say, sitting down at the table next to Carmen. "Public school?"
"Well, yeah," Jeremy replies, sheepishly. "What schools did you have where you are from?"
I laugh. "We have public schools. But… also, private ones."
Jeremy pretends to heave. "The audacity. Anyway, it's pretty quiet here so any gossip is big. Can you imagine, though? A staff member and a student?"
I stare at the milk in my glass, listening to the two of them talk about how scandalous it was, while the ghosts of my past knock on my door. It's like karma wants to bite me in the ass, one more time. As if Chuck being taken away from me wasn't enough, life was here to remind me that I'm still bad news, even if I try to run.
Chapter five
MyshiftatFebri'sdrags on, and my normal excitement is forced as I serve customers. I don't want to wallow around in pity, especially on my second day, so I just deal with it. Tara and the team don't need a glimpse into the mess of my life, and I need the job.
When I finally return home, I'm happy to see Chuck sitting up in the bed, waiting for me.
Normally, he's out like a light, but he's wide awake.
"There you are," he says, putting his phone down. "How was work?"
I drop my bag on the floor, pushing the bedroom door shut behind me. It's not fair that he looks that good right now. He's shirtless, all his muscles exposed, with the blanket resting low on his hips. It's enough to tease me, and also enough to keep me guessing. But I'm pretty well familiar now with what lies beneath.
"It was fine," I respond, crawling onto the bed.
Chuck offers me the vape, which I happily accept from his hand. I take a drag, blowing out the smoke next to him. I'm partially on my hands and knees, and he takes the opportunity to grab my waist, flipping me onto my back. He hovers over me, a smile on his face as his biceps bulge near my face, begging to be touched.
"You look fine, if I do say so," he grins.
I let out a laugh, my hand reaching around his bicep. My nails brush against his skin as he leans down to kiss me.
"So do you," I finally say between kisses.
Chuck straddles my hips, grabs my hands, and lifts them above my head. He leans down, brushing his lips against mine briefly, before trailing kisses down the side of my neck.
