Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
“All right, well, I should probably get back and finish packing,” Derek says. “I can’t believe how much shit I’m taking with me.”
“Well, you are going to be there for a few months.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, thanks again for handling that for me.”
“Not a problem. I’ll keep an eye on things.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“You got it. And thanks for the beer.”
He gives me a wave and heads back to his place to pack. It occurs to me after he’s gone that I didn’t ask him what he’s going to do with his cat. But then, I assume he’s already got it covered. He probably would have asked me to take care of the little fleabag if he hadn’t already taken care of it.
I glance at my watch and see I’ve only got a few hours before my guest bartending shift down at Caputo’s tonight. Determined to make the most of my remaining time, I drain the last of the bottle in my hand, crank the music back up, and go back to working on my car.
2
SIERRA
“Icould really get used to living here,” I say. “What do you think, Monty? Would you like it if I lived here with you?”
The cat purrs and nuzzles my hand. My brother asked me to house-sit and take care of his cat while he’s abroad teaching, so for the last week, I’ve had my brother’s beachfront condo to myself. And it’s been sheer heaven. There is nothing like going to sleep and waking up to the sound and smell of the ocean. It’s nice soaking in a hot bubble bath and listening to the waves crashing against the shoreline outside. I don’t know how Derek managed to finagle his way into a place as sweet as this, but I’m a little jealous. More than a little jealous, actually.
Being here beats being in the dorm, which is noisy, always smells funny, and just pure chaos. Here, everything is quiet. Calm. I can actually get my studying done and just relax without somebody banging on my door, wanting to go out drinking or getting into some kind of trouble. Truth be told, I’m not much of a party girl. It’s just not my scene. I’m more of a bookworm and prefer quiet nights in than drunken nights out.
Monty mewls and gives me a gentle head-butt as he purrs loudly. “And of course, I love being here with you, fur-face. You’re the best part.”
The big, orange cat mewls again as if he understands and approves. It wouldn’t surprise me if the big cat actually did understand everything I was saying. Cats are smart creatures, anyway. But Monty is smarter than most. Eerily so.
“All right, I need a shower,” I tell him. “I’ll feed you when I get out.”
Peeling off my sweaty clothes after my run, I drop them into the hamper on the bedroom floor, step into the bathroom, and turn on the shower. If there’s one drawback to my brother’s condo, it’s that the water pressure in the shower is weak, and it doesn’t stay hot for long. But honestly, it’s a minor hiccup that doesn’t bother me all that much, given all the other perks. Once the water is warm enough, I jump into the shower.
Knowing I need to move quickly, I lather up my hair and body, taking as much time as I can to let the warmth of the water seep into my bones. Once I feel the temperature drop a couple of degrees, I finish up and turn the water off. I suppose fifteen minutes is probably long enough to shower, but I would kill for another ten minutes of warmth.
With a sigh, I step out of the shower and grab the towel off the rack, wrapping it around my head to dry my hair. Singing softly to myself, I reach for a second towel. As I do, the bathroom door opens, and I see a man standing in the doorway. The scream that bursts from my mouth is shrill and loud and seems to startle the man, but he doesn’t move. He stands there with wide eyes, gaping at me.
My heart racing and my body tingling with terrified electricity, I grab whatever I can reach on the counter and start throwing it at the intruder.
“Get out of here!” I scream.
Getting pelted in the chest and head with toothbrushes and deodorant seemed to snap the man out of his paralysis, and his expression shifts from one of shock to one of mortification. He quickly steps back and slams the door shut. My breathing is ragged and my legs are shaking so hard, they almost give out underneath me. I manage to keep from spilling onto the floor, but just when the torrent of fear in my veins starts to ebb, it comes rushing back when I hear his voice.