Page 18 of Look at Her and Die

That was the young girl.

“Um,” I thought about that for a second.

I’d had so many damn Dr Peppers over the last couple of hours—there was nothing better than an ice-cold Dr Pepper out of the cooler when you were hot—that I should probably consume some water.

But…

“Dr Pepper,” I answered.

The young girl got me my drink and said, “Do you know what you want to order?”

I nodded and placed my order, choosing a burger, and replaced my menu in the holder between the salt and pepper shakers.

Then I watched.

And realized that whatever I felt for Elisha was nothing.

Not when I was obsessed with a woman named Searcy that had zero desire to please anyone, not even her own family.

Five

Stop worrying about being the hottest chick he’s been with and start being the scariest.

—Searcy to Kent

SEARCY

The first thing I did the next morning was head out for a run.

I couldn’t afford a gym membership.

I also couldn’t afford any weight equipment.

Hell, I could barely afford the clothes on my body.

My shoes needed replaced last year, and every single pair of socks I owned had holes in them.

Yet, running was free, and I had to do something to help me alleviate the complete shitstorm that was my life.

I was a sweaty mess by the time that I arrived home to a bustling house.

Before I could say hi, the kids were out the door, heading to the rec center where they’d spend the day.

There was a summer program that catered to the lower income families like mine.

There they could get free breakfast, lunch, and snacks. They could swim, play, and enjoy their summer, all the while being in a safe environment.

The kids had been going since they were younger—something that I’d never had the privilege of doing because I’d been working since I was five.

The moment the house was quiet, I pulled my computer out and got to work on a book cover for a new client.

After sending out the first draft, I started to clean.

By the time mid-morning hit, I got ready to head to the diner.

Speaking of selfish mothers, ours hadn’t come home last night.

How did I know?

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