AllFreeNovel
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After about eight hours and wiping out the cleaning aisle at the local grocery store, it wasn’t great, but it’s survivable until I find something better.
Getting back into the rotation with the club would help me earn some cash, but that takes time since schedules for jobs are out weeks in advance.
Until then, I’ll have to keep searching for any openings in the area, doing whatever I can to get paid.
* * *
I’m sitting outside in a rusted patio chair the next morning, sipping a can of beer from one hand and perusing the job listings on my phone in the other hand, when a car swerves off the side of the road and stops about three feet away from my legs.
Lyla climbs out of the driver’s side, shouting, “Thane, what are you doing in this hellhole?” as she makes her way around the hood. She’s wearing one of her cute summer dresses and sandals, so I know she’s doing better. In Atlanta, she insisted on wearing pajamas and oversized hoodies whenever she left the house. Since I wore pretty much the same, I couldn’t bitch at her.
Guess her father told her where to find me.
“It’s just temporary since I’m guessing you and Barrett made up and you don’t want to go back to Atlanta.”
Her shoulders relax a little, and a smile lifts her lips. “You’re right. I don’t want to go back. I already sent the agency my notice. And I owe you an apology for dragging you all over the place.”
“It’s no biggie.”
“No biggie? Thane, why don’t you stay with my dad? My room is free. Laurel’s room is too. Grandma would love to have someone to look after.”
“Nah.”
Placing her hands on her hips, Lyla considers my refusal for all of a second before throwing out another option. “Okay, well, I guess I could ask Bear if you could come back to his family’s house…”
“No!”
She drops her arms by her sides and stares at me with narrowed eyes. “That was a quick response. What do you have against the Fultons?”
“Nothing. I just don’t need to go back there.”
“What happened between you and RJ?”
“Huh?”
“Something happened, right?”
I flick the metal pop top of my beer can, avoiding eye contact. “No clue what you’re talking about.”
“Oh really?”
“Yep.”
“I think you’re full of shit. You know why? When I saw RJ at Bear’s grand opening, he asked about you.”
My head comes up at the mention of his name. “He was at the grand opening?”
“Yep.”
Damn. I didn’t see him. And I definitely was looking.
“And he asked about you.”
“He did?”
“Yes, he did.”
Slouching down in my chair like I don’t care, I ask, “Well, ah, what did he say?”
