Page 20 of Tempt Me

“I’m not hurt. And it wasn’t Brock. It was one of the guys on the football team. When I answered the phone, I….” Do notsay you tripped. He doesn’t need to hear what a klutz you are. “I stopped short and didn’t look behind me.”

“You need to watch where you’re going.”

My back bristles at his tone. Seriously? Like, I’m not smart enough to know that. I grind my teeth together and let out a huff. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. What did you need?”

The phone. He’s paying for the phone and has probably been waiting for me to pay for my share. “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you how much my end of the bill is. How much do I owe you?”

Daisy, the girl I did the makeover for waves and smiles. I’m going to miss her. I need to let her know I’m leaving so we can keep in touch.

“I don’t need any money. I have enough money to pay for your phone and phone line.” The brisk tone of his voice sets my nerves on edge. Why is it that we can’t talk to each other without bickering? It’s like talking to my brothers. Only I want to shut him up by slamming my mouth over his instead of flipping him off. “Have you talked to Xavier?”

“No….” I frown. Right, the tattoo. Saturday night, I told him I would get a tattoo, like Xavier and Ruby suggested. But I’m not about to get kittens and rainbows or whatever we decided. I’ll get something classy. “I’ve been busy, but I’ll talk to him soon. Did you need something else?”

He sighs, “I wanted to make sure you weren’t getting any calls or messages from Brock.”

“Everything’s good on my end. The phone is great. I don’t think he’s going to figure out how to get ahold of me this time.”I lean my hip against the wall. “And now that I think about it, I don’t think it was him at the bar. If it was, one of us would’ve seen him.” The alternative is creepy as fuck.

Outside, the breeze blows the leaves of the large oak tree in the grassy section between the building and the parking lot. One positive thing about the campus is the scenic view. The landscape designer took great care in making an aesthetic and functional place.

“By the way, what number are you calling me from? I didn’t recognize it.”

“Work. I had a break between clients and was charging my phone.”

Great. Rissa is probably drooling over him as we speak.

“I wish I would’ve known sooner that he was bothering you. I would’ve taken care of it.” The regret and conviction in his voice twist my insides.

I fan my face while pretending it’s because I’m standing so close to the window.

“Are you coming over to the house this week?”

“Umm….” I gnaw on my bottom lip. “No. I’ve got too much to do. It’s going to be a while. My nights are going to be booked.” With Cosmo starting in a couple of weeks, I’m going to need to get a job to save up some money.

My stomach cramps. My parents are going to be so pissed that I’m quitting midsemester.

“I see. Well…. Okay.” He clears his throat. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Did you need me to stop by for something?”

“No. Nothing. Your mom’s dishes are piling up from the food she sends over, and I was going to leave them out for you to take back to her if you were coming by. But I’ll toss them into the cabinet for now.”

“Perfect.” I frown and roll my eyes. All he cares about is getting pans back to my mom? Ugh.

“At least the washer is fixed, so you don’t need to wash our clothes. That way, we’re not taking up your time.”

“I need to go.” I hang up and shake my head. Stupid. If he asked me to come over, I’d drop everything and go like a desperate puppy begging for a handout.

Chapter Ten

A Couple of Days Later

Dominic

I pull in front of my mom’s house and frown. The windows by the front porch are peeling and the potted flowers are browning and wilted. Great son I am. I cut the engine and climbed out of my pickup before kicking at a clump of weeds that were growing out of a crack on the sidewalk.

Before I make it to the front step, the door bursts open, and my mom rushes outside, letting the door slap shut behind her. “Dom.” Her face beams with happiness, making me feel like an even bigger heel. I resemble my father in stature and size, but I have my mom’s eyes.

“Hey, Ma.” I wrap my arms around her and inhale her familiar scent. Herbs and spices mixed with her floral perfume. And chocolate? It’s an interesting combination.

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