Page 44 of My Ex's Brothers

13

AMELIA

I watchfrom my window as Richard pulls the Corvette out of the parking lot, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Collapsing on my couch, I run my hands over my face and let out a frustrated sigh.

I woke up today thinking things would be great. After all, I’d only applied to the secretary position earlier in the week and they set up an interview already…that had to count for something, right? They must’ve seensomethingthey liked in me…

I went to that campus, excited, hoping for the best, and then…

Then I ran into Tripp, and then my car died, and then Richard…

My phone rings, jolting me from my thoughts, and I nearly jump off the couch.

I answer it immediately, since I’d recognize the ringtone just about anywhere.

“Hey, Sam, everything okay?” I ask, panic striking me that something’s happened with my daughter.

“Everything’s fine,” she says warily.

“You don’t sound like everything is fine…”

“It’s nothing, just uh…Lyla had a little accident as I was putting her in the car seat, and well…I didn’t think you’d want her back without a bath first, so…”

I close my eyes, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, okay…” I say.

“So we’ll just be a little late, that’s all. Probably about a half hour or so?”

I nod even though she can’t see me. “Okay, yeah, that’s fine.”

“Do me a favor?” Sam asks.

“What?”

“Relax. Pour yourself a damn glass of wine or something. You’ve had a crazy day.”

I nod again, even though she can’t see me.

“Yeah, okay,” I tell her, fully committing to the idea. Maybe after Lyla is home and has been fed, maybe when she lies down for the night…

I still haven’t had a chance to give myself the self-care I’ve been craving, and I vow that tonight will be the night for sure. Once my daughter is down, I will be in that bubble bath with a glass of cheap wine and my waterproof vibrator. Sam’s right, Ineedsome stress relief. Maybe a little unwinding will help me think things through clearly.

“Alright, I’m going to get this baby cleaned up then I’ll be over, k?”

“Okay, sounds good.”

When the phone goes quiet, I notice how silent it is in my apartment. That is, until I get an email notification on my phone. I check my email, seeing that my landlord has already sent the invoice for next month. Nine hundred a month for this apartment isn’t terrible, but I need to check my account to make sure I’ve got enough in there to cover it…

I lean back on the couch, scrolling through my tabs until I find my bank app. Logging in to my savings, my eyes widen when I see how much I have left. I thought I had more to stretch, but I know if I move the money for next month’s rent, I won’t be able to replace it. Not without a job, or a car to get to a job…

I think about Richard’s offer. Moving in with the Rose brothers sounds like a terrible idea, all things considered.

First there’s the fact that they’re my ex’s brothers, they’re all hockey players, they’re all single as fuck, and…

And I’ve kissed one out of three of them, so far.

The fact that Ialmostkissed Dane and got startlingly close to Richard today tells me moving in with them would probably be a recipe for disaster.

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