Page 24 of Leah

He hadn’t seen them in over ten months, and even when he did, he’d flown them out to him, which was pretty damn shitty in my opinion. We talked, but hardly since he’d left. I got some texts from him once in a blue moon, wishing me a happy holiday, but it was pretty half-assed.

I got a little angry thinking about it.

I’d just watched him play the other night not even two hours away, and he probably didn’t let his parents know he was around the corner. Guilt stirred inside of me.

Maybe I should have told them about it.

The hours ticked by excruciatingly slow, and my Joker smile scared customers away before they got to the checkout. Gary huffed at me, shooting me hisI’m-gonna-fire-your-ass-if-you-don’t-perk-up-for-reallook. I just shrugged, knowing damn well I was the only worker that had lasted this long under his command.

“I’m doing what you want,” I told him. “Don’t hate on me for it.”

The second my shift was over, I was out of there faster than a bullet.

Nine

Leah

There were two brand new BMWs sitting behind Harold’s clunker of a truck. I stared around their quiet front yard before my eyes scanned the windows on the top floor of the house. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Who had they invited, and why didn’t I know about it?

With no room in the driveway, I parked my ten-year-old Jeep—that I’d slaved myself saving for, by the way—on the side of the street in front of their house. The back wheel went over the curb, and I sighed in irritation as I drove forward and tried to line the beast up. It took me a few minutes. Needless to say, I wasn’t the best driver in the entire world.

When I finally stepped out of the car with my ugly mammoth tote bag stuffed with my change of clothes, I stared at my parking skills and cringed.

You fucking stink, Leah.

Whatever.

My parking skills were currently irrelevant.

I hurried to the front door, eyeing the cars once more on my way. They looked luxury type. I hoped there weren’t rich peopleinside, or something. I didn’t look all that great today in my hurry to get here on time.

I rang the doorbell and waited a few moments. I heard Marlena’s excited voice from inside. I wondered what she was hooting for. It couldn’t have been me. I wasn’t all that exciting.

The door opened and she stood before me with a radiant smile, her dark hair up in a bun, her green eyes a little wet, as if she’d been… crying.

What the hell?

“Hey, are you alright—”

“Rome’s surprised us with a visit!” she immediately cut me off to say, bursting with excitement.

My face fell. “What?”

“It was absolutely out of nowhere, Leah! Did you know he had a concert the other night in the city? He has a few days off and he showed up not even an hour ago.”

“Wow. That’s… Wow.”

“Come say hello to the boys! They’ve been asking for you.”

The boys?

What?

Oh, shit.

No, no, no.

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