Page 120 of Overcast

“You’d be to blame for people peeing their pants and having heart attacks.”

“Live a little, Cinderella.” He glances at me. “You could use it.”

My eyes narrow. “You don’t know what I’ve done prior to this.”

“Yeah?” He pops another chip between his lips. “Like what?”

“Well...I...”

Can’t think of a single thing.

“Have you ever stolen before?”

I snap my fingers. “Yes.”

“What was it?”

“A library book.” Mills loses it, leaning forward as he dies of laughter at my expense. I knock my own arm into his, but he only gets louder. “Stop laughing.”

“Damn, Cinderella,” he quips. “You’re a rebel.”

“I’m not—”

“Shhh,” he transmits as our show comes back on, and he holds up his index finger. “You can continue your story about killing a roly-poly next commercial.”

I huff, but he doesn’t tease me anymore, not that I care. Judge Judy awarded the plaintiff money allotted to him for the vandalism minus twelve dollars because he never paid for his food the last time he was there.

Mills claps his hands together loudly at Judge Judy’s pettiness. “This broad is cold-blooded. I haven’t watched her in forever. What time does this come on?”

“Oh no, I’m not getting in trouble for your binge-watching. I’m in enough of my own.”

“It’s called Google, Cin, I can find the time. I forgot how hilarious this reality TV shit is. She reminds me of my grandma.”

“Then maybe you can Google how to get your head out of your ass when you should be working,” Emric drones behind us, making me jump in response to him creeping up on us.

“Geezus fuck,” Mills solicits, hand on his chest. “You scared the fuck out of me and almost made me waste this bag of chips.”

I snicker, covering my mouth to keep it from growing. Mills’s company may have been unwelcome, but he was a good distraction for today.

“And imagine if I was someone else.” Emric shows up in my line of sight, standing directly in front of me and the TV. “I would’ve killed the fuck out of you.”

Slowly, I bring my gaze up to his peering down at me with a stern expression on his face. His eyes are hidden under his cap, so there’s that, but I can still tell that he wants to kill us both.

Oh, wait, like old times.

“Come with me,” he commands, before striding back from where he came. “And put my fucking chips back, Mills.”

His angry thuds from his boots allude that he’s not in the mood, and the slamming of the side door only confirms it as well.

“He’s pissed at me,” he conveys, sticking his hand back in the Dorito bag. “Don’t let his attitude intimidate you. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

I fidget with my fingers, inhaling a deep breath because I didn’t want to deal with this today. His moods, the way he dampens the air in the house with his oppressed attitude.

“Hey.” Mills gives me a light tap on the knee. “Chin up. You’re a boss bitch, act like one. Not many people could function like you are after the bullshit you’ve gone through. Go see what the asshole wants, then come back in here so we can binge.”

He offers me a weak grin with his words that don’t help the spraining of my gut as I rise.

I can only imagine what Emric wants now.

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