I put my hands in the pockets of my shorts. “I took a friend home. And Jessica doesn’t really listen to me.”
“Sit down,” he told me. I sighed and sat down. He looked over the checkbook again. “Why are you spending so much on car insurance?”
Was he serious? “I left you a message in February telling you that Jess had been getting speeding tickets and not telling me.”
He grumbled. “That shouldn’t have brought the rates up.”
“Then you talk to the insurance company,” I countered.
His eyes shot to me. “There are a lot of questions I want answered. And I’m only here for a short time.”
Well, surprise, surprise. He was running off again. This must be a new record.
His gaze ran over me. “I left you in charge, Asher. Can you explain why Jessica barely passed this semester?”
My temper broke. “I’m not her father,” I snapped. “If you want to know why Jess is having problems, then why don’t you stick around and find out?” I got to my feet and headed for the door.
“Asher! Get back here,” he shouted.
I turned around. “Why? So you can lecture me on the way things should be? When you can’t even be bothered to come home for Christmas? No.”
“You are still living under my roof,” he bit out. I stopped. Fuck. “Now, get your ass back in that chair.”
I took a deep breath, walked back into the kitchen, and sat down.
“Answer my questions,” he told me.
I answered his questions and ignored his lectures. The entire time my mind was on the emancipation forms in my desk upstairs that Miles’ lawyer had put together for me. It was a long night.
Chapter 5
Friday
Something wet touched my face. I groaned and rolled away. Right into the wall. Ow! I opened my eyes and glared at Hades. The dog was happily panting away and hogging my pillow. I was going to have to get him his own.
“Why did you wake me up?” I grumbled. He whined at me and wagged his tail. “You have to go out, don’t you?” He barked. “Ugh. We need doggy doors.” I shoved my covers off and worked to get to the side of the futon. He jumped down and went to wait at the door. I rubbed my eyes and tried to wake up. It seemed like I had just closed my eyes a minute ago. Grumbling to myself, I went to let him out.
When I reached the first floor, I smelled coffee. Oh, thank God. I zombie-walked to the back door and opened it for Hades. He ran out. I left the door open to go to the coffee pot that Rory probably brewed this morning and poured myself a mug. I was adding cream and sugar when Hades came back in. I closed the door and refilled his food and water bowels, then sat down with my cup of coffee.
A door shut upstairs before Tara came downstairs in her pajamas. She ignored me as she walked into the kitchen and made her own cup of coffee.
“Are you dating Zeke?” she asked casually.
I cringed internally as I finished my sip. “No, I’m not dating him.” I set my coffee down.
“Then you’re screwing him,” she announced as she turned and leaned her hip against the counter. “It’s the only explanation for last night.”
“What happened last night?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know.
“Zeke told me to fuck off,” she replied with a confused look on her face. “He said he didn’t like me and told me to leave him alone.”
My eyebrows went up. “And from that, you’ve decided I’m sleeping with him?” Wow. I shook my head. “Tara…” I looked up and met her eyes again. “Zeke doesn’t play games. If he says he doesn’t like you, he doesn’t like you.”
She looked down her nose at me. “First Asher, and now Zeke?”
I sighed deeply. “Oh my God. Tara…” I didn’t know how to make it clear to her. I was just… too tired for this shit. “If they liked you, I’d be the one telling them to go for it because they’re my friends and I want them happy.” I got to my feet with my mug in my hand. “If they don’t like you that way it’s not my fault, so stop fucking blaming me.” I started for the stairs and went up them without another word. I needed to pack up my research books and hit the cemetery. I felt like I hadn’t slept at all. I was just... done. I didn't have enough time to deal with her bullshit anymore.
I folded up my futon and sat down, taking the time to wake up and drink my coffee. My alarm hadn’t gone off yet, so I had the time. Hades climbed up and flopped down happily.
As I woke up, I started going through my drawers to decide what I wanted to take to Miles’ house.
When I opened my top drawer, I paused. Several pamphlets were on top of my supplies. Rory must have put them in here.
I reached in and pulled them out. A pamphlet about having brain surgery. I flipped to the next one. Support Groups for the Terminally Ill. My lungs grew tight. Next. What is a DNR? My eyes burned. Next. In Home Care or Nursing Home? There were still more, each worse than the one before. I slammed them onto the desk face down and took a deep breath.
It hit me.
This was really happening…
Being tired all the time, crossing the dead and dropping… I was already down the path I’d been dreading my entire life.
After a long shower, I started packing up my research materials. I was almost done when I called Miles.
“Hi.” His voice was cheerful and wide awake.
“Hey, did you get any sleep?” I asked as I continued packing the bag.
“I did, actually,” he said.
I stopped. “You did?” It worked?
“Yeah, I actually fell asleep quickly last night. I was surprised.” His voice was more awake than I’d heard in a while. I smiled.
“I’m glad it worked,” I told him. “Let me guess, you’re working on something?”
“Um, yes.” He hesitated. “I’m working on my RPG game.”
“When you finish I get to play it, right?” I asked as I wrapped a glass vial in a sock before adding it to the bag.
“You will,” he assured me.
“Good. ’Cause you’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t.” I closed the bag. “Miles, do you mind if I stash some of my research stuff over at your house?”
“Of course I don’t mind.” He didn’t even hesitate. “Rory didn’t give permission for a better lock?”
I sighed. “No, he told Tara to knock it off and wants to see if she listens. I’d rather not lose my best supplies in the meantime.”
“Yes, bring over whatever you like.” His voice was warm. “You have a bedroom here, after all.”
I smiled again. “Thanks, Miles. I’ll see you after my climbing lesson then.”
“I’ll be here,” he promised before hanging up. He really was in a good mood today. I quickly changed into my climbing workout clothes; black capri leggings and a black Y-back tank. I grabbed my bag and headed out. Thankfully, Tara wasn’t downstairs when I left.
I hit the top of the intermediate wall, my arms already shaking. Looking over my shoulder down at the floor, I spotted Asher.
“Coming down!” I shouted. Asher nodded and then I let go. I dropped only two feet. I lay back, out of breath, as my arms and legs burned. Asher lowered me to the mats slowly. I dropped to the mat on my back and didn’t bother to move.
Asher bent down and smiled at me. “You made it.”
“At what cost?” I grumbled. “I don’t think I’ll be able to move for the rest of the day.”
He chuckled as he reached down to me. “Come on, Ally girl.”
I cursed as I took his hands and he pulled me up to my feet. I groaned deeply. He bit back a grin as he let go of my hands. We walked over to the benches, which I promptly lay down on. He was still laughing at my antics when he brought me my street shoes. I sat back up and started unlacing my climbing shoes. Asher straddled the bench and sat down. He had been quieter than usual. His smile was gone, his eyes shadowed. The bags under those eyes drew my attention.
“You okay?” I asked. “You’re kind of quiet today.”
He licked his lips before meeting my gaze. “My dad came home last night.”
I stopped untying my shoe. “How did it go?”
He scoffed and looked back down at the bench. “It went the same as it usually does.”
“How does it usually go?” I asked, my voice soft.
He swallowed hard then looked at me. “Not great.” His shoulders were slumped, his jaw clenched. I’d never seen him like this.
I reached over and took his hand, getting his attention. “Hey, I’m your only appointment this morning, right?”
He nodded.
“Then let’s go get some coffee.” I started taking off my climbing shoes.
“Uh, yeah, sure. We have a break room,” he said. I quickly pulled on my shoes. He got to his feet and picked up my climbing shoes as I finished tying my street sneakers. When I stood up, he led me through a door that said ‘Employees Only.’ We walked down a bright hall and around a corner.
“Hey, Asher.” A pretty, light-blond girl in the center’s blue uniform shirt and a pair of gray capri leggings was putting her stuff away in the break room. “Are you done with your morning appointments? We could…” Her voice trailed off as I stepped into the break room behind Asher. Her light brown eyes shot to me, then back to Asher.
“Brittney, this is Ally,” Asher said as he walked towards the coffee maker.
“Lexie, actually, only Asher calls me Ally,” I offered with a smile.
Brittney raised an eyebrow. “Um, we’re not allowed to have clients back here.”
Asher opened a cabinet and pulled out a couple of coffee mugs. “She’s one of my best friends.”
Brittney smiled. "Oh, just didn't want you to get in trouble," she said before leaving the break room. I stepped up beside him as he poured coffee. He silently handed me a cup before he poured his own. I put cream in mine and stirred it with a stirrer. Asher picked up his mug and moved to the couch. I followed, tucked a knee under me, and sat down facing him.
“I thought you guys didn’t have coffee,” I said with a grin.
He snorted. “We didn’t. Everyone got on the manager’s back about it. We finally got a coffee maker last month.”
My grin faded. “Tell me what’s going on, Ash.”
He sighed and lay his head back on the couch. “Every time he comes back it’s the same.” He lifted his head and looked down at his coffee. “Why are you paying this much for that? Where is your sister? Why are her grades off?” He turned to me. “Even when I call and tell him she’s ditching, or that her speeding tickets upped our car insurance. It’s like he just… he doesn’t even check his messages.”
“But he blames you anyway?” I asked, already hating this guy.
He nodded. “Every time he leaves, I’m glad to see him go,” he admitted quietly. “And after a couple of months, I hope when he comes back it’ll be different.”
“And it never is,”
He swallowed hard. “Right. It’s always the same.”
I set my mug down on the floor and moved my arm over the back of the couch so my hand rested on his shoulder. He looked down at me, his eyes rough. He moved his hand over to my knee. Ignoring the tingles running up my leg, I wrapped my other arm around his and rested my cheek on his shoulder.
“It’s not your fault, Ash,” I reminded him.
He nodded. “I know.”
I tilted my head and looked up at his face. “Do you?” I asked in a quiet voice. His thumb moved in a figure eight pattern over my leggings. “Your dad is an ass.” He turned to look down at me. “Seriously. He’s an ass. He’s her father, not you. He’s dumped his responsibility onto you, and to see you handling it when he ran like a bitch…”
His lips twitched. “I know you’re right, I do. But if I don’t try then she’ll…”
“You don’t want to let Jessica down,” I guessed.
He nodded. “She’s all the family I’ve got left.”
I squeezed his arm. He looked down at me. “You have more family than just her.”
The shadows in his eyes lifted some as he gave me a small grin. “I know, but I’m all she has.”
“And she’s lucky to have you,” I told him. “Even if she doesn’t know it.”
He let out a deep breath before he leaned down and gently kissed the top of my head. “Thank you,” he whispered.
I opened my eyes and met his. “For what?”
“Listening. Reminding me.”
I lifted my cheek from his arm. I’m always here for you, Ash.”
His eyes ran over my face. “I know.” He slowly turned his mug in his hands. "So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"
I gave him another squeeze before letting go of his arm and picking up my coffee. "I'm stashing some of my research materials at Miles' before we go shopping for job hunting clothes."
Asher smirked. "Miles is going clothes shopping with you?"
I smiled. "Yeah, the poor guy."
Asher burst out laughing.
"What?" I asked, trying not to laugh. "I don't know what this ‘business casual’ is." That didn't help. Asher continued to laugh.
After that, the subject changed to lighter things. I managed to make him laugh enough to chase the shadows from his eyes and put a smile on his face before I left.
With my knotted stomach, Miles drove me over to the only tattoo shop in town. Dragonfly Tattoo was in a nice brick building on Main Street. Miles took a parking spot a few doors down from the shop. He put the car into park as I took a deep breath.
“You’ll do great,” Miles reminded me.
I gave him a small smile and looked down at my clothes. Since I was applying for a job, Miles had suggested I wear business casual. Shopping with Miles had been... different. He simply asked what my size was and helped me start looking. His ears were red the entire time we were in the women's section, but he didn't even complain once. He did tap his leg so much, though, that he had to have bruises by the end of our trip. In the end, we found a pair of black slacks, a green button-up blouse and black ballet flats. It felt like a costume and that, any minute now, someone would call me out on it. I eyed the shop storefront.
“Lexie.” Miles’ voice was the silky-smooth one I loved. Calm moved through me, settling my raw nerves.
“I feel ridiculous,” I muttered.
He smiled. “I know the feeling.”
I turned to him. “You do?”
He smiled that secret smile that showed you how handsome he really was. “Every time my parents made me put on a suit and dragged me along to functions.”
I smiled at the idea of Miles in a suit. “Does it go away?”
He nodded. “The more often you wear it, the more you get used to it.” I snorted and looked back out the window.
“Lexie,” Miles said again. I turned back to him. “You are going to do great. Just go in there and be yourself.”
I chewed on the corner of my bottom lip and nodded. He reached into the back and pulled out the portfolio I had put together over the last few weeks. He held it out to me. Hades made a whining, talking noise.
I took the portfolio and opened the door. “Are you sure you want to wait with Hades?”
Miles gave me a patient smile. “Of course. Go.”
I grumbled under my breath before stepping out onto the sidewalk. The sun beat down on me, making my skin start break out in a sweat instantly. It was the best motivation to get indoors that I could imagine.
Inside, the waiting area was neat and clean, with walls covered in framed artwork. I stepped up to the empty reception counter and set down my portfolio. A woman came around the corner in a pair of jeans, belt, and a vintage, dark-gray Rolling Stones T-shirt. Her hair was black, with blond streaks and fringed edges. Her dark-chocolate eyes ran over me.
“I don’t do underage tattoos,” she stated before turning around.
“I’m not looking for a tattoo,” I told her.
She moved back to the desk and crossed her arms. “Then you’re i
n the wrong place, cheerleader.”
I raised an eyebrow. Cheerleader? Really? I put it out of my mind. “I was actually wondering if you had any job openings.”
Her eyes ran over me before meeting mine. “You want a job here?”
Okay, now she was irritating me. “Yes. I eventually want to find an apprenticeship, learn everything I can, and become a tattoo artist. But I’m seventeen, which is why I’m hoping you might need a shop girl.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You want to be an artist?”
“Ever since I was a kid.” I took a deep breath and opened my portfolio before turning it towards her. “I’m practicing my artwork and trying to learn everything I can. It would be wonderful to get a chance to see how a real shop works.”
Her eyes narrowed on me before looking down at my portfolio, which was filled with neo-traditional and watercolor style tattoos. It had taken me weeks to draw and improve each design until I liked them enough to include them. My heart was pounding in my ears as she looked through the pages.
She looked at me, then at the drawings again, before closing my file. “I’m not hiring today.” My heart dropped. She turned and started walking off.
I wanted to work in a tattoo shop before I died. If I wasn’t going to be able to learn officially, at least I could watch. I wanted this. “Alright. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She turned back. “I told you, I’m not hiring.”
“Today,” I reminded her. “You said you weren’t hiring today. That doesn’t mean you won’t be tomorrow.” I closed my portfolio.
She raised an eyebrow and looked me over again. “I won’t be hiring tomorrow, either.”
I smiled. “Then I’ll see you the next day too, and then the next, and the next.”
Her lips moved into a half smirk. “Have you ever had a job in your life?”
“Several.”
“What? Did you keep getting fired?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“We kept moving,” I countered.
She ran her eyes over me, seeming to decide something. She walked around the desk and leaned on the counter. “You have a resume?”
When Evil Comes To Play (The Veil Diaries Book 5) Page 7
