Page 4 of Here's to Tomorrow

And honestly, even if her weirdness didn’t draw me in, the rest of her would have. A girl in a Transit tee and Chucks with a mouth that damn kissable? Add in her voice—which is a strange, smooth sort of husky—and that stare of hers—which had me captivated for far too long—and you can count me in.

That stare. I can’t get over it. Her forest green eyes were speaking, if eyes can do so, and they were saying,I’m wandering.She seemed lost…and undeniably familiar to me too.

This odd urge to protect her washes over me. I have no idea where it comes from or what it means, but I want to do something about it right away.

But I can’t. I have too much already on my plate—too many responsibilities, namely my daughter, Joey—that I’m not about to flake on for a spitfire girl with a wicked mouth and beautiful eyes.

“Are you shitting me, man? You’re just standing there staring at this chick? Fucking creeper.”

“Would you keep it down, asshole? The doors are open,” I whisper through gritted teeth.

“If you would quit being weird I wouldn’t have to keep my voice down.”

He comes to stand next to me, looking over at Rae. He was in here earlier asking me questions about her. I guess she said something to whomever is picking her up about the payments I offered, and he was worried about it because that’s not something we have offered at Jacked Up before.

I couldn’t help it, though. She looked like she was going to blow a fuse. Plus, all her pacing and rambling was making me dizzy.

Oddly enough, it was also cute. Why? I have no clue.

Who in the fuck finds that shit attractive?Me. That’s fucking who.

“I’m not creepin’, you dick.” He gives me a look, telling me he knows I’m full of shit. “Fine, I was, but only a little. I was worried she wouldn’t find a ride.” He knows I’m still lying. “I can see she did, though. Good.”

Just then, a car pulls up and she hops in, so I walk away and start working on getting her car prepped before Tucker starts questioning me any further.

Now I’m wondering who was in the car. Her boyfriend? Is it serious? Was it her fiancé? How long have they been engaged? Shit. Was it herhusband? She looked a little too young to be married, but you never know these days.

Dammit. I have no idea what’s going on with me. I don’t care either way. I shouldn’t care. I don’t have time for girls, for dating. I have Joey to worry about, and that’s enough. There’s no reason for me to get my brain all jumbled up over a gorgeous girl.

Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care, don’t care.I repeat this in my head until I almost start believing it.

But…I do care, and that’s evident since I’ve spent the last five minutes repeating my new mantra and it hasn’t done anything to help get rid of the image of Rae’s beautiful stare that seems to be burning holes in my head right now.

Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care, don’t care.

I’m a liar.

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