Page 43 of His to Ruin

“Bad night again?”

“Yeah. Her coughs getting worse but I’m hoping the antibiotics the doc give her yesterday will kick in soon.”

“Anything you want me to do today?”

“Na it’s all good. Just text me updates on how she’s doing. Hopefully, her chest infection will clear up in a day or two.”

“Of course,” she sympathetically replies.

“Have you given anymore thought to my offer about moving her in with me to my house? You need a break Caleb. A good night’s sleep if nothing else. Your seventeen and with college just around the corner.”

“I said I’m going to look into that this weekend didn’t I,” I snap, “But you know what she’s like. She’s a stubborn mule that won’t accept help.”

“She will if she only knew how it’s affecting you, Caleb. You know she wants you to stay in school and graduate. It’s her dream. And you can’t do that if your falling asleep in classes and missing deadlines for assignments.”

“I’m fine and she’s fine. Just do the fucking job that I pay you for which is to look after her, not me. I can take care of myself,” I say throwing my mug in the sink with force that I’m pretty sure cracked the mug. I grab my keys from the counter and head for the door slamming it behind me making me instantly wince.

Shit, I hope I didn’t just wake nanna. I’m such a screw up.

When the car engine roars to life I hit the gas pedal to get the fuck out of here before my temper gets the best of me. I know I shouldn’t take it out on Suzie. She’s been with us every step of the way since nanna was diagnosed. She’s been like a daughter to her and I know it must be hurting her as much as it is me to see her becoming more frailer by the day. It just frustrates the hell outta me when people think I can’t handle my business. I grab the steering wheel harder as my head continues to pound closing my eyes for just a second to relieve some of the tension but it’s enough for the car to swerve causing it to veer off the road and into the side gravel.

“Fuck,” I shout banging the dash. My heart pounds in my chest. I’m so goddam tired.

I take a minute to collect myself and get it together then pull into a coffee shop to get a coffee to go. I feel bad for the way I left things with Suzie so I pull out my phone to shoot her a text.

Me: Sorry I snapped at you.

Her reply comes in almost at once.

Suz: No need for apologies. I only want what’s best for you both. I hope you know that.

Me: I do.

My phone bleeps again. Thinking its Suzie, I look down only to see Colton’s name come up on our group chat.

Colton: Slept in. Late night if you get my drift.

He follows the text with an eggplant emoji, peace sign emoji, sweat drop emoji.

Me: Who was the unlucky victim this time? Anyone I know so I know to not go there.

Colton: No one you’ve had your dirty dick into anyway.

Me: Don’t me hating on me cause everyone wants a ride on my dick.

Colton: I broke in the new guy in Ketch last night if you really need to know every detail about my sex life.

Saint: Better not have let anyone have seen you. Eric will kill you if he finds out you’re fucking his bar staff again. Can’t have anymore go off sick with a broken heart!!!

Saint: Taking the Harley today. See you fuckers soon.

Colton: The only thing that got broke was my dick! Don’t forget my pancakes, Caleb!

Well fuck. Too late now to go back home and get them. I’ll make something up; tell him I ate them on my way here.

Chapter Twenty-two

Jordin

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