Page 44 of One Last Verse

Frank Wallace had gotten under my skin. He’d owned my mind the entire week we’d been apart. Each time I came out of my room, the oversized animal’s grin put a new dent in my pride.

It was the morning of Ashton’s eighteenth birthday when Roman showed up at my front door wearing a jersey and a baseball cap. Still in my pajamas and without a lick of caffeine in my system, I gawked at him through the cracked door and wondered why he was here this early and, further, why he was here at all.

“I don’t have any more room for flowers and stuffed teddy bears,” I blurted out.

“Don’t have any on me, Ms. Evans.” Roman shook his head and peeked inside. “Didn’t you get the message?”

“What message?” I’d pulled an all-nighter working on the email campaign for the potentialDreamcatcherssponsors and had gone to sleep close to sunrise. The last thing I’d cared about when the doorbell woke me was checking my phone.

“Boss would like to take Ashton car shopping.”

“Come again?” I blinked through the fuzz in my brain and threw an over-the-shoulder glance at my brother, who was scrambling to his feet from the couch.

“Mr. Blade’s present for his eighteenth birthday,” Roman explained.

“No! He’s not getting a car from Mr. Blade!” I snapped, ready to shut the door, but it was too late. My brother, who sported only junk food-themed boxers, pushed his way out onto the deck.

He stared at Roman with wide eyes as he stood there in underwear that was covered with soda and burgers. “Are you for real?”

This wasn’t happening!

My mother and I had found a nice 2005 Toyota Corolla in Glendale two days ago and the owner had agreed to hold the car until tomorrow. We planned to tell Ashton about the present tonight during dinner. Frank and his bottomless pit of a wallet were about to ruin our surprise.

Roman’s gaze darted between me and my brother. “Mr. Blade is waiting in the car.”

My heart sputtered.

“Sick.” Ashton grinned. “Give me five minutes, man.”

“I’ll be downstairs.” Roman nodded and glanced at me.

“You’re not going anywhere,” I told Ashton as he breezed past me.

“Eat me, sis.” Ashton shoved his middle finger in my face and slid back inside.

“I won’t allow this!” I growled to the empty space in front of me.

“I’m eighteen. You can’t tell me shit.”

“Fine! Then I need half the rent before the first,” I countered.

“That’s blackmail!” he screamed from the bathroom. “Besides, I’m already working for free.”

“It’s called internship, asshole!”

“It’s called slavery.”

In my peripheral, Roman was cracking up.

“This is unbelievable.” I gritted my teeth.

“We’ll be in the car, Ms. Evans,” he noted before leaving.

“Do I need to bring my social security card?” Ashton yelped from the bathroom as I shut the door and hurried to look for my phone.

“We’re not going anywhere,” I shouted, dialing Frank’s number. My pulse roared and my hands shook.

His voice on the line was sweet and made me ache all over.

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