Page 30 of Rent Free

Maybe I should be seeing that red flag for the red flag it was…

“Why do you torture her?” he asked.

I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot for good measure. “Listen, Clark Kent. I don’t do anything for pleasure. I work. I eat healthy because I get fat if I don’t. I send money home so that we can pay for my dad’s care facility. And I sleep. I literally do nothing for pleasure.”

He frowned. “What’s wrong with your dad?”

I gritted my teeth, contemplating whether to tell him about my father or not, but then decided… fuck it.

Maybe he needed to understand just how much she was keeping from him.

Maybe if I armed him with knowledge, he would finally open his freakin’ eyes and see what was right in front of him, me included.

“Dad has early onset Alzheimer’s,” I said. “He’s been in a care facility for a couple of years now because he’s dangerous to himself and others.”

“Was he in there when…” Atlas started, trailing off.

“When none of us showed for Sage’s kidnapping?” I guessed.

“Yeah,” he said, likely looking for a redeemable quality for the horrible picture Sage painted of our family.

“Yes,” I said. “And my mom had suffered a heart attack the day before.”

Atlas blinked.

“Dad freaked out, because that was one of his good days. He wanted to go see her, but he also has what they have termed sundowning,” I explained. “Even if he’s having a good day, he’ll digress the closer and closer that it gets to dusk.”

“Oh,” he breathed.

“Hey, Pepper.” Maven came rushing through the door of the kitchens so hard that the door banged against the wall. “Do you have this? Someone ran over the septic tank at our place, and shit’s spewing everywhere, literally. I have to give consent to the septic guys, and they need me there in person.” She paused halfway through the bakery. “Shoot, I was supposed to give you a ride.”

“I’ll get her home,” Atlas called out.

Maven still hesitated.

“I won’t hurt her.” Atlas rolled his eyes. “Geez, give me some credit.”

“I am,” Maven said. “But you’re a complete asshole to her based on a single person’s point of view.”

I loved Maven.

“I swear to God, Atlas.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Pregnant or not, I’ll kick your ass if you hurt her.”

Atlas nodded. “I’ll take care of her.”

Why did that send my heart to beating so hard in my chest?

I started closing up the shop, prepping everything for when I came in later to get the baking done.

Luckily, all I had to do was come back and get them into the oven as well as get the display cases stocked. Maven had already done the hard part of getting each of the items prepped and proofing.

When I came back into the main room after everything was ready for me to go, it was to find Atlas sitting at one of the tables, his eyes on the world passing by outside the bakery windows.

My movement caught his eye, and he stood up. “Ready?”

“Ready,” I confirmed.

He took off his glasses and tucked them into his pocket before taking a pair of sunglasses out of the other pocket and placing them over his eyes.

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