I could think to say under the circumstance. “Hey, I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear right now, but someday, there will be someone else. Someone who makes you happier than Ruben. One day, you’ll be with someone who will never make you hurt the way he does, okay?” I reached over and gently took her hand. “Just remember that.”
Her head slowly shifted then rolled against the back of the couch cushion toward me, her bright, green eyes pinning me with soft sincerity. “I’m so glad you’re here, Carter. Thank you.”
Those rich, green pools chased the sadness away and a faint smile tickled my lips. “Me, too.”
5
VOLUME
After Ruben and Whitney’s showdown, Emma thankfully returned to the apartment in one piece, easing Whitney’s worry. After Whitney had cooled down on the couch, she was determined to get dressed and head out in search of Emma, so I was relieved to see Emma shuffle back through the front door before she had the chance to run off.
Emma toted two bags of chocolate ice cream with her, and her big, fluffy robe was disheveled—as was her hair—but neither Whitney nor I commented, instead watching silently as she grabbed a spoon and retreated into her bedroom with the ice cream. We heard the door lock click and knew that would be the last we’d be seeing of her for the rest of the evening, so we’d resumed our pasta dinner, and decided to watch a movie and call it a night. I spent most of that pasta dinner wishing I could’ve danced with Whitney again. I just wanted to be near her, wanted to touch her. During the movie, I couldn’t stay still. Her warmth was so close, all I’d wanted was to put my arm around her and hold her close. The space between us crackled as we watched from the sofa, my eyes occasionally straying to get a peek at her soft skin under the dim light.
The next day, I’d hung around Emma’s while Whitney was working at the hotel. She stopped by on her lunch hour to give me a lift home so I could make my shift at the boat shop. We’d agreed to meet up again after her night shift at the diner, and after my shift at the shop. She wanted to pick me up, but I insisted on taking a bus to her place after work. She’d been running non-stop enough as it was, there was no way I was going to let her continue to give me rides.
Climbing the stairs to my flat from the shop after a long day of Emma sitting and working, I released a loud, long sigh before stripping my t-shirt off and falling face first onto the bed. I needed some sleep and a shower before I hopped the bus to head to Emma’s place.
I groaned when there was a knock at the door.
“Carter, it’s Jackson, open up.”
Pulling my tired body from the bed, I pushed up and walked to the door, letting Jackson in. “Hey man, what’s up?”
“You gotta talk to Boss Man. I’m hurting for money, and he just permanently cut the remainder of my weekend hours to give them to you.”
“Wait, hold up—what?”
Jackson strode inside, combing his fingers through his hair in a display of frustration. “I don’t know. He caught word I’ve been picking up extra hours elsewhere and said something about you needing the hours more than I did. I don’t see how that’s fucking fair, but whatever. The point is, I lost my hours because of you, okay? I need you to talk him out of this.”
I stuffed one hand into my jeans pockets and shut the door, trying to work through this. Jackson wanted me to give up more work hours that were being offered to me? I couldn’t do that. I needed those hours. Especially when I was just about to put a stop to the checks my dad had been sending me. Like I knew he would, he fought me to the bone over me trying to get a second job. He wasn’t having any of it. Said he’d had the extra lying around and that he wanted to help. I agreed, telling him I’d only accept the help until I got settled in and found a second job I could manage, or until I found one full-time job
Her head slowly shifted then rolled against the back of the couch cushion toward me, her bright, green eyes pinning me with soft sincerity. “I’m so glad you’re here, Carter. Thank you.”
Those rich, green pools chased the sadness away and a faint smile tickled my lips. “Me, too.”
5
VOLUME
After Ruben and Whitney’s showdown, Emma thankfully returned to the apartment in one piece, easing Whitney’s worry. After Whitney had cooled down on the couch, she was determined to get dressed and head out in search of Emma, so I was relieved to see Emma shuffle back through the front door before she had the chance to run off.
Emma toted two bags of chocolate ice cream with her, and her big, fluffy robe was disheveled—as was her hair—but neither Whitney nor I commented, instead watching silently as she grabbed a spoon and retreated into her bedroom with the ice cream. We heard the door lock click and knew that would be the last we’d be seeing of her for the rest of the evening, so we’d resumed our pasta dinner, and decided to watch a movie and call it a night. I spent most of that pasta dinner wishing I could’ve danced with Whitney again. I just wanted to be near her, wanted to touch her. During the movie, I couldn’t stay still. Her warmth was so close, all I’d wanted was to put my arm around her and hold her close. The space between us crackled as we watched from the sofa, my eyes occasionally straying to get a peek at her soft skin under the dim light.
The next day, I’d hung around Emma’s while Whitney was working at the hotel. She stopped by on her lunch hour to give me a lift home so I could make my shift at the boat shop. We’d agreed to meet up again after her night shift at the diner, and after my shift at the shop. She wanted to pick me up, but I insisted on taking a bus to her place after work. She’d been running non-stop enough as it was, there was no way I was going to let her continue to give me rides.
Climbing the stairs to my flat from the shop after a long day of Emma sitting and working, I released a loud, long sigh before stripping my t-shirt off and falling face first onto the bed. I needed some sleep and a shower before I hopped the bus to head to Emma’s place.
I groaned when there was a knock at the door.
“Carter, it’s Jackson, open up.”
Pulling my tired body from the bed, I pushed up and walked to the door, letting Jackson in. “Hey man, what’s up?”
“You gotta talk to Boss Man. I’m hurting for money, and he just permanently cut the remainder of my weekend hours to give them to you.”
“Wait, hold up—what?”
Jackson strode inside, combing his fingers through his hair in a display of frustration. “I don’t know. He caught word I’ve been picking up extra hours elsewhere and said something about you needing the hours more than I did. I don’t see how that’s fucking fair, but whatever. The point is, I lost my hours because of you, okay? I need you to talk him out of this.”
I stuffed one hand into my jeans pockets and shut the door, trying to work through this. Jackson wanted me to give up more work hours that were being offered to me? I couldn’t do that. I needed those hours. Especially when I was just about to put a stop to the checks my dad had been sending me. Like I knew he would, he fought me to the bone over me trying to get a second job. He wasn’t having any of it. Said he’d had the extra lying around and that he wanted to help. I agreed, telling him I’d only accept the help until I got settled in and found a second job I could manage, or until I found one full-time job
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