Page 3 of Power Play

Please tell me a friend is pulling a prank. Not that I have friends, but a girl can hope it's all a joke and her water isn't shut off the night before a court appearance. My one paying client needs me at her side tomorrow when the judge gives his final decision on the custody case I've worked on for months. Now I'll look like the low-rent attorney my fees depict me as being.

I twist both the hot and cold knobs, the chipped plastic digging into my palms until neither can turn any farther.

Nothing. Not a single drop.

“No, no, no, no,” I groan as quietly as possible to not alert Taeler in the back of the trailer. Can't believe this is happening again. Yes, again. Because this is my reality, and it fucking sucks.

Giving up on the hope that magic water will suddenly pour from the rusted spout, I drop both elbows to the kitchen counter and hold my head between my hands.

Guess the check mix-up scam didn't work with the water company this month. I've pulled it enough times that it's no surprise they caught on to my creative bill paying—or not paying—tactics. I only need three more days. Three days until payday. But of course, some idiot set up a billing system that doesn't coordinate with standard pay cycles. I would file a complaint with the mayor, but said complaint would just end up on my desk.

Yep, the mayor of Boone, Texas, won't have a shower before work tomorrow. Unless I suck up my pride to walk a few trailers down and use Mom's. Chills rake down my spine at the thought. Who knows who her boyfriend is this week, though not a single one is someone I want hanging around while I'm naked, even with a locked door between us. Plus, her place is disgusting, a literal pigsty. As in she has a pig living with her. In the trailer. One of Mom’s stupid-ass boyfriends gave her a miniature pig for a gift last year. Turned out it wasn’t so miniature but actually a normal size pig, Big Patty, who Mom still refuses to give away.

Taking a small step back, I fall onto the couch. One benefit of a small single-wide is that everything is close. It's not the newest model—okay, it was born before me—but it's mine. Leaks and all.

For now.

Fuck, I don't want to think about that right now. Ican'tthink about that right now. If I have to pay the fee to have the water turned back on, plus pay the electric bill on top of Taeler's monthly expenses, there might not be enough to make the full mortgage payment. Again.

My eyes burn with the welling tears. This is my shit show of a life. The life everyone in this small town knew I'd one day grow into. “Once trailer trash, always trailer trash” in most people's minds around here. I'll never amount to anything, and nothing I can do will change that. Well, on that front, yeah, I am proving them right. College and law school, yet I still ended up three trailers down from where I grew up. I like to pretend they aren't smiling behind my back because I'm proving them right each day I sink deeper into debt.

“Mom?”

The skin of my arm peels from my damp lashes as I slide it down. Blinking back the unshed tears, I raise both brows at Taeler.

“Good, you're still up. I wanted a chance to talk to you.”

I focus past her shoulder on the dry sink. “Being clean is overrated, right?” I mutter more to myself than to Taeler.

“You are so strange, Mom,” Taeler says with a huff, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Heads up, the water's off. Something must have happened with a line somewhere. I'm sure we'll be all good tomorrow.” Is it considered lying if you're attempting to hide your misfortunes from your kid? I'm going with no.

I groan in utter exhaustion from life and pull myself upright. Puffs of dust and who knows what else float into the air as I pat the other cushion. With all the dramatics of a teen, she flops down beside me. I start to ask what she wanted, but her eyes are glued on the phone in her hand before I can get a word out.

“Did you need something?” I nudge her shoulder with my own, fighting for attention.

Her blue eyes bounce between me and the screen before clicking it off and setting it aside. Once, twice, then a third time she swipes her long blonde hair behind her ear.

Oh no, that's her tell. We both have one. I bite my nails to the quick, and she fidgets nonstop with her hair.

“Mom….”

Shit. This is bad.

“You're pregnant,” I blurt before covering my mouth with both hands.My pulse skyrockets with dread.

“What?” She groans. “No! I've told you a thousand times I'm still a virgin, and that's not going to change any time soon. I don't even have a boyfriend.”

“Thank fuck,” I mutter into my hands. The relief at her denial fades as a new worry seeps into my thoughts. “You're dying.”

“Now you're ridiculous.”

“What? You're acting more dramatic than usual. It's making me nervous.”

“Well, then give me two seconds to explain what's going on.”

“You need to speak faster! The suspense is killing me.”

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