Page 12 of Call the Shots
Denali shrugged. “Well, you are Canadian.”
CHAPTER 5
JUNE
UNINVITED MEASURING TAPE GUESTS
It wastime to say goodbye to my sanctuary.
With my hair wrapped in a towel and a bathrobe tied around my waist, I packed treasured items for the storage unit. There went my Romans jerseys, my thick photo albums. The tickets I saved from every football game…
A knock echoed from the front door, and I sniffled, trudging to it. King wasn’t supposed to come for another hour, but I was glad he decided to show up early. Brushing away the tears, I pulled the door open.
“June Basil?”
Five guys stood in neon jackets, and I blinked in surprise. “Um…yes?”
They shoved past and one of them whistled. “I see why they’re repossessing.”
“Hey!” I whirled back, stunned. “What are you?—?”
“We’re here to take measurements.”
“I haven’tmovedyet. They gave me four days!”
Another held up his measuring tape. “Look, lady, we were paid extra to come early.”
“Fucking Xavier,” I swore. “I can’t even grieve my house.”
He shrugged. “Well, you pissed him off. Now he gets your house.”
I bristled, but their paperwork confirmed it. I couldn’t do anything about my uninvited guests. All I could do was get dressed and shove my stuff in boxes, angrier and angrier every time they tossed my furniture around. Xavier just had to dig the knife in.
What a bitch.
Revenge plots swirled behind my eyes, but none seemed big enough. I wanted something huge. I wanted tohurthim. Deeply, psychologically,spirituallyhurt him, but without provoking the ire of my parents, and keeping it quiet.
How was I supposed to do that?
“June?” a voice called from the entry.
I hurried to King and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him into a hug. “You didn’t bring Jasmine for me?”
King chuckled, hugging me back. His little sister was in first grade and cute as a button. “Her summer break doesn’t start ’til June, she’s still in school.”
“Ugh. Poor Jazz.”
At six-foot-three, he stood high over me, almost three hundred pounds of muscle. Tattoos and scars covered his body. A man known for being silent on campus, King chose not to speak to most people he didn’t know personally. To strangers, I was sure he looked intimidating, but he was the sweetest guy I’d ever met.
Thoughtful and kind, King was my best friend. We had plans to become godparents to each other’s kids, and I knew whatever football team he was drafted to, I’d hang up the banners in my house.
He nodded towards the movers, asking the question I didn’t have to hear because we understood each other like that.
“Xavier,” I sighed, heading outside. King followed, and we hung by the windows, listening to the guys joke about how pissed someone had to be to do this to me.
“June…” King said, sending a knowing look my way.
“Nope.” I shook my head. “No one touches Xavier.”
