AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He nods. “Good girl. You need to get rid of the one you have now.” He rubs his hands together before ducking down and grabbing me a bottle of water. “The guest bedroom in my apartment is open, and you can work here.”
Whoa.Definitely wasn’t expecting that.
“That’s …” I unscrew the bottle cap and take a drink. “That’s …”
“An offer, Sierra. Take it or leave it.” He’s not insulted by my response. “I’m helping a friend.”
Friend.
I raise a brow. “Is that what we are? Friends again?”
“We’ve always been friends … after you quit being annoying and sneaking into my bar.”
I sigh. “I appreciate the offer but don’t know if it’s a stellar idea.”
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
* * *
“I swearon my shoe collection, that asshole isn’t stepping foot in my apartment,” Ellie says after I decline her offer to stay at her apartment. “You won’t need to worry about seeing him because I’ll kick his ass before he makes it through the front door.”
I called an hour ago and asked her to meet me at our favorite taco joint outside of town. She was as stunned as I was when I broke the news about Devin and Louise’s restroom field trip. I’d been nervous about going out in public, in fear of a breakdown, but I’ve stayed strong.
Each time I almost cry, I take a tequila shot instead.
It’s working perfectly.
“While I appreciate your loyalty, kicking his ass will only lead to problems with you and Corbin,” I tell her.
She lifts her margarita. “Corbin will be lucky if I allow him to hang out with a man who has no issues with banging tramps in restrooms.”
“I’ll figure something out. If worse comes to worse, I’ll be at your doorstep.”
Do I tell her about Maliki’s offer?
Nope.
She’ll go into full freak-out mode. It wouldn’t surprise me if she suggested I screw Maliki, tape it, and then send the video to Devin. Ellie loves a good revenge.
“You swear?”
I nod. “I swear.”
“What are your options then? Moving home?”
“Not if I can help it. Hopefully, I can find a rental.”
“Good luck with that in Blue Beech. Finding a rental there is like snagging a golden ticket to Wonka’s factory. The people never leave their homes. They pass them down through generations like bad genetics.”
I press my palms to my temples. “Ugh, I know.”
“Where are you crashing tonight? The offer is open for my place even if it’s only temporary.”
I chew on my lower lip, tasting the lingering tequila. “Undecided. Can you drop me off at Down Home? I told Maliki I’d help him close and then ask Kyle if I can crash at his place.”
She grins. “She runs to her prince in bartending armor.”
I throw a chip at her. “Shut up. I’m not running to anyone.”
