Page 16 of Siccitas

“That’s the name of the street. Crest View.”

I don’t say anything else because there isn’t any point. Instead, I decide it would probably be best to get back to her brother’s house as quickly as possible, put the boards up for her, then go home.

It’ll be better that way,I tell myself as I take a left turn and head down the street.

___

Twenty-five minutes later, we pull into a neighborhood that I’m not familiar with.

Granted, I’ve never been to this side of town, but I’ve never had a reason to before today.

“This is nice,” I say under my breath, hoping she doesn’t catch the sarcasm in my tone.

But the way she sucks her teeth and chuckles tells me that I probably wasn’t as quiet as I had hoped I was.

“Turn into that dead end and it will be on the left.”

I do as I’m told and inhale a deep breath as I amble down the street.

“The one over there,” she says, pointing to a small ramshackle house that looks damn near unlivable.

As I pull into the driveway and shut off my truck, I wonder if maybe she needed more than just a few boards.

Chapter Eleven

The inside isn’t asbad as the outside, which makes me bite my tongue.

If her brother is happy living like this, perhaps it isn’t my place to make any suggestions after all.

“Where do you want these?” I ask as she closes the front door behind us.

“Stroll up the hallway; you won’t be able to miss it,” she replies with a laugh.

I shrug and start walking.

The house smells a little weird and I can’t place the scent, but it’s not so overwhelming that I need to cover my nose or anything.

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