Page 57 of The Reluctant Hero

Gabe glares at her over the rash demand. Ace watches her like she’s a dream that will disappear if he moves.

I step forward to take one for the team.

“Thankyou. It must be difficult dealing with them all the time. They did this, didn’t they? You’re innocent.”

Her irritated grumble makes me smirk at her. She has no idea how difficult it can be. I’m happy to throw Ace and Gabe under the bus. Taking one for the team has never been so satisfying.

The mattress is easy to move back into place. Out of pure guilt, I redo the sheets and blanket, trying to see if my incriminating footprint might be on the fabric.

“I’m calling you if I ever manage to move out of here. What’s your name?” Her voice falls in awe as I straighten to glance at her.

I’m struck dumb by the surprise on her face as she smiles at me. A genuine smile. No vicious mockery in sight. My heart gives a heavy jolt in my chest.

Damn it. Now is not the time to lose words. I should be telling her my name. Blaming Ace for the mess. Saying you’re welcome. Anything!

Instead, I’m struck mute as I pace away in shame.

I almost step on a photo and bend down to pick it up as I berate myself silently.

My brows furrow as I spin it to get a clear look at the woman’s face.

This was one of the women at the gym.

I glance at Ace’s shamed face and flip the photo for him to see.

His expression falls into disgust before he blinks and leans closer.

This is the reason Blake knew. He’s been sleeping with her friend. The gym class is a setup for Blake to keep an eye on her.

Why?

Amanda is a mystery that’s building layer on layer. We need to keep her close to find out what the fuck is going on.

At least, that’s what I’m going to tell everyone else.

13

Dance Devil Dance

Amanda

Sunday passes, and I wish I could say it was quiet. Sadly, that’s not my life anymore. I spend all day on my phone with lawyers, and the drama begins.

Every single lawyer’s office I call can’t accept me. There’s some kind of law that states if the opposite party in a divorce has spoken to the office, they can’t accept the other side as a client. The first two, I thought were flukes. I’m just going down a list I pulled up on my phone, and the expensive places are first.

I change tacks and start calling from the bottom up. They all say the same thing. Some are apologetic. Others tell me I waited too long and call me an idiot without saying it outright. I even try calling one of Loser’s lawyer friends for advice but get laughed at.

The counties around this area all say the same thing. Even the one that I had a free consultation with at the very beginning of this mess is too busy to take me on. By six at night I’ve given up, which is a good thing because my phone stops dialing out.

I have that panic attack of, "Oh God, what will I do?” before I get it together. I try to use someone else’s phone. It’s a waste because no one answers their door, and Manny doesn’t have one.

I end up at the landlord’s office on the first floor. The smug smile he gives me while he watches me wait on hold gives me the creeps. Somehow, he’s worse than the last guy. He’s just not as obvious about his sleazy behavior.

My phone service was cut off without notice, just like that. I know who did it without being told.

I knew I should have gotten a new service provider, but I kept pushing it off. Now that I’ve been wallowing in self-pity and haven’t heard back from any jobs, I’m down on funds enough that a new plan seems impossible.

At least I still have my music on this paperweight.

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