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“No, I mean yes,” I snap, stomping toward the direction where she disappeared. “Just—shut up for a minute.”
He throws up his hands on a grunt as I grab the back of my neck and half jog into the family room where she’s now sitting cross-legged, poking at her phone with a scowl.
She doesn’t see me and I note the AirPods in her ears as she shakes her head and turns a hand upward, annoyed at something on her phone.
“Perfect, no car and apparently, this neighborhood is an Uber dead zone.” She holds her phone in a vice grip in front of her face. “I have places to be! This day is—argggg.” Her head falls onto the back of the sofa and knots form down my back.
I hate that she’s upset. Frustrated. Angry.
I hate it. Why? What do I care?
It’s not like she’s being attacked or burned at the stake, but from the violent rage that rumbles inside me toward whatever it is that’s fucking up her day, you’d never know it.
Rodney coughs in the kitchen as I stand behind Nancy, my boner nearly at full throttle, so I reach down and give it a quick adjustment, hoping the black baggy athletic shorts will give me some cover.
“Hey.” I step toward the fireplace where she’s facing, but with the AirPods in her ears she doesn’t respond. So I work my way three more steps until I’m directly in front of her, boner and all. “Hey!”
“What!” She startles, eyes wide, her hand flying to her chest. “Jesus and Jennifer, you made me pee my pants.” She blurts out, then corrects, “Almost, I mean. Just, don’t sneak up on me. I have a crazy startle reflex.”
“Sorry.” I hold up my hands then drop into the upholstered chair next to the fireplace, grabbing the pillow from the back and stuffing it on top of my rebellious erection. “Uber trouble?”
She nods with an exasperated sigh. “Yeah, like, two said they were on their way, then canceled. Is this like, a no Uber zone here?”
I shrug. “Don’t know. Never taken an Uber.”
“Well, I need one.” She goes back to her phone, her hand moving from her chest to squeeze her forehead.
“Okay, hold on.” I stand as she gives me an okay sign with her fingers, not looking up.
“I gotta go do something.” I tell Rodney as I pass through the kitchen. “See yourself out.”
“Wait, who’s the girl in there?”
“None of your fucking business, and there’s the door.” I point as he shakes his head and gives me the finger.
“See you at the game, asshole. Don’t be late, team captains aren’t late.”
I flip him off behind my back as I hear the door close and I take the stairs two at a time. With some fresh deodorant, clean jeans and a button-up shirt, I’m back downstairs in two minutes with my keys in my hand.
“Come on. Your Uber is here.”
“What?” She looks up at me, then down at her phone. “Now they’re here? This app is useless. Both said they canceled en route.”
“They did. I’m your Uber, little sis, now, come on. You gotta be somewhere, I’m gonna get you there. But I will say, all this white knight riding to your rescue is gonna cost you later.”
She sets her jaw, her cute as fuck little lips twitching as she considers my offer.
“Fine. Only because it’s a doctor’s appointment and I don’t want to miss it.”
Doctor?
“What’s wrong?” That heat rises inside me again. I have this primal urge to protect her which confuses the hell out of me, but I’m helpless under its power.
“Nothing. Just…” She stands, brushing her hands down her hips, tugging the sweatshirt out as she stuffs her phone into the side pocket of her black stretchy pants. “Just routine checkup, but getting an appointment is hard and if I don’t show, I gotta pay fifty bucks.”
“Then, let’s go.”
“Fine, but you are not coming in. You’re my driver, that’s all. And I need to pick up my last few things from my apartment. Please?”
I nod on a smirk. That please is giving me ideas. “Fair enough. But I expect a good tip.”
She’s silent and has been since she got back in the truck. Even when I took her to her old place, to pick up the pitiful few boxes she still had there, she barely said a word. Whenever I try to catch her eye, she looks away. I’m not sure if she’s blushing or upset and it’s beginning to fuck with me.
“Everything okay?” I ask because it’s enough with this giving her space shit. I don’t want any space between us, ever.
She replies with a noncommittal grunt.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m fine.”
“Nothing to worry about at the doctor?”
“What?” She turns my way with wide eyes like I surprised her somehow.
I stare back, still stunned at the effect this little sprite is having on me. “Nothing for me to worry about?”
