Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
I pinched my lips as I glared at the man.
“Because my ex-boyfriend dropped it off there, knowing damn well I couldn’t get it.”
“Interesting,” he said. “Do you want me to bring it in?”
I weighed the benefits of getting the TV inside against the possibility that he might be a serial killer.
Knowing damn well I couldn’t live without the TV, I decided to take a chance with my life and said, “Please.”
The man didn’t even hesitate. I quickly moved out of his way, sweeping my hand through the night air in an embellished fashion to direct him towards my door.
“After you,” I murmured.
He picked the TV up as if it weighed nothing, and easily walked up the path and into the house, stopping once he was in the living room.
“Where do you want it?” He stopped.
I pursed my lips and pointed to where it used to be.
“It used to be right there, hanging above the mantle, but if the wall mount wasn’t laying out there with the TV, then you’ll have to just put it on the floor, I guess,” I pointed to a blank spot where the recliner I’d bought Danny used to sit.
His brows furrowed at my mention of him taking the mount, but he placed it on the floor anyway, stepping back once I had.
“Thank you,” I sighed softly. “I really appreciate it.”
Now get out of my house, please. I don’t really want to die.
He must’ve sensed my thoughts because he headed to the door without another word, not stopping until he was down at the end of my yard standing next to my mailbox.
“Don’t let him into your house anymore,” he said. “And I’d suggest changing your locks. If you want to get new locks, I’ll put them on for you.”
I lifted my robe up slightly to show my anklet monitor.
“No can do, sir. I can’t go out even if I wanted to,” I informed him.
His eyes went down to my ankle, his gaze being captured by the blinking red dot.
“You’re on house arrest?” He wondered, surprise evident in his voice.
I nodded. “Yep.”
“Why?” He pushed.
There was no way he didn’t know.
None.
I’d been the talk of the county; my own brother was a cop.
There was seriously no way he didn’t know why I was on house arrest, but I decided to tell him anyway.
Tomorrow.
Instead of saying goodbye, or even a ‘see you tomorrow’ I closed the door without another word.
I couldn’t handle anymore adulting right now.
Tomorrow would be soon enough.
Chapter 2
I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission.
-Rule of thumb
Aspen
“No, no, no,” I cried, watching as the smoke started to pour out of the open oven door. “Why? Whyyyy?” My questioning exclamation came out in a pitifully whiny and frustrated twang that I just couldn’t help.
Today was New Year’s Eve, seven days after my asshole ex got me put on house arrest, and I was going stir crazy.
I’d cleaned everything, top to bottom, and the house was immaculate now. There wasn’t one thing I would need to clean for at least a month.
However, now I needed to focus on getting the smoke out, or I might suffocate to death in my own house.
Walking to the window above the kitchen sink, I pushed it out and open.
The smoke billowed out, and I was amazed at just how much smoke one little turkey could produce.
“Surely, it can’t be that bad,” I murmured to myself, coughing slightly when I pushed further into the kitchen to come to a stop in front of the stove.
I grabbed the oven mitts beside the oven, thrust my hands into them, and then bent over to grab the turkey from the oven.
It was heavy.
Really heavy.
But I managed to finagle it out and onto the kitchen counter without too much fuss.
It was then I got my first good look at the turkey.
“Black’s probably not okay to eat,” a man said from behind me.
I gasped, turning around to see a man in full turn out fire gear behind me and right behind him were two more.
The one closest to me, though, was my newest neighbor. The one I couldn’t stop thinking about.
The one who was currently staring at my ass.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked warily, backing my ass up against the counter so he could no longer see my cheeks.
The dastardly man smiled.
Fucking smiled!
“You have smoke coming out of your house,” he said as if he was talking to a child. “Smoke, where we come from, means fire. Fire means the fire department comes. Right?”
I glared at him.
“Nothing’s on fire,” I muttered darkly.
“Well, we didn’t know that, and your door was hanging wide open, so…” he shrugged.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“So you just decided to come in without my explicit permission?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at the man.
“Jesus Christ. Ridley, where the fuck are you?” Downy, my brother, yelled from somewhere beyond the kitchen.