Page 114 of Time Stops With You

Now, not only will I have to attend the stupid PTA meetings under their savage and watchful eyes, but I’ll have to go knowing I can’t afford to invest like they have.

It’s humiliating.

I can’t believe Cullen told Darrel and Sunny not to hire me. Who the hell does he think he is to interfere like that?

Anger builds and builds in my chest.

I want to storm downstairs and confront him immediately, but I already know what he thinks of me and my ‘attitude’. If I fly into his office and let loose now, it’ll only prove to him, Jenna and all his employees that I’m as ‘aggressive’ and ‘emotionally unregulated’ as they all think.

I force myself to pick up my laundry from the sofa and spread my bed.

If I thought taking the sheets off was difficult, it’s impossible to put them on again. Every time I get a corner to stay and start on another one, the first one snaps out of place.

It’s like a game of bedsheet whackamole.

After three rounds, the scores are set.

Bed, 1

Nardi, 0

“Dammit!” I scream, flouncing on the center of the mattress. My mind travels to my lost catering gig again and I fume.

Ronan Cullen.

The nosy butt-hole.

I pull at the sheet with my one good hand, wrenching and punching it the way I wish I could punch his pale-as-a-ghost face.

In the middle of my one-man gang initiation on the bedspread, a knock sounds at the door. I stop with my fist pulled away from my rumpled sheets.

Who could that be?

The knock sounds again.

“Alright, alright. I’m coming,” I snap. Ambling to the door, I open it a peep. An unfamiliar woman is standing outside. Behind her is a hamper filled with cleaning products.

“Can I help you?” I ask woodenly.

“Hi.” She smiles, revealing a gold tooth. “I’m Ashley. Can I come in?”

“Uh…”

“Ronan sent me.”

I still show no signs of recognition and I still don’t open my door.

Her face drops. “Did he not tell you?”

“No.”

“That man. He must be busy working and forgot. Why don’t you send him a text? He’ll explain.”

I look behind her and notice a burly man wearing a straight face.

She smiles over her shoulder. “Oh, this is my cousin. Ronan mentioned that it would be difficult lifting the trolley up all those stairs. I’m glad he warned me beforehand. Most people wouldn’t. He’s surprisingly considerate, isn’t he?”

I blink slowly. “Can you give me one moment?”

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