Page 45 of Violent Little Thing

No one in their right mind would think that I could pull off someone who looked like a Greek god.

With his impossibly thick black hair and pale gray eyes, he looked like someone who stepped right out of Greek mythology.

Meanwhile, I could feel that I had crusty eye boogers and that my hair was spazzing out. Hell, I was still wearing the t-shirt that I’d stolen from Court last night as I’d gone to the bathroom.

I’d seen it sitting on the edge of a shelf, as if he’d discarded it there when he’d gotten to the shop so he didn’t get it filthy.

I’d taken it almost as a spur-of-the-moment decision, not quite thinking through the whole “he’s going to be looking for this later” thing. Though, I hadn’t expected him at my house so early in the morning, either.

Maybe he wouldn’t notice that it was his? I mean, it was white. Everyone had white shirts.

Speaking of white shirts, I hoped it was thick enough that you couldn’t see through it.

I was absolutely freezing, standing here with the door open. There was no way that I could keep my nipples from pebbling, or the goose flesh traveling to the entirety of my body.

“Oh,” Jessa gasped, her hands covering her face. “That’s amazing!” She turned to me, her face a mask of displeasure. “How could you not share this with me, Charleigh?”

Sometimes I got the mother in Jessa, and sometimes I got the friend.

They were one and the same, but sometimes one shone through more than the other.

In this instant, it was the friend. She wanted to know all the details, and I hadn’t shared anything with her about Court other than I would be working for him.

She knew exactly who he was, though.

Everyone knew who he was.

The broody town mechanic who glared at anyone that looked his way.

He had a reputation of not speaking unless necessary. A reputation in which he’d earned.

I’d never really gotten that man, though.

He’d always had something to say to me, even if it was something negative.

Others only got that blank stare that said he was clearly disappointed, but wasn’t willing to waste his breath on saying it.

I’d witnessed a lot of that going on the last couple of days as I’d been at his side.

“It, uh, is pretty new.” I inwardly winced.

Hopefully that didn’t sound as confused as it felt.

We’d only done the lying thing to Chris because I was fucking terrified of getting my things alone. We kept it up around Seraphina because I knew that it pissed her off to see us together.

Her new work enemy and her old childhood one.

It was a match made in her proverbial hell.

“Speaking of new.” She crossed her arms. “I don’t want to kick you out of your place at all. I just wanted to give you a heads up that it might happen. I’m so sorry. I’m looking into alternatives, and right now we have ten days to find other accommodations for her until she’s kicked out officially.”

“Shouldn’t they give you thirty?” I asked.

I felt Court’s eyes on me as he tried and failed to track the conversation.

“That’s what I said!” Jessa threw up her hands. “I mean, we knew that Mom was bad going into that place. She likes to walk off. She’s combative. Confused ninety-five percent of the time. Doesn’t present any different than most Alzheimer’s patients. They knew going in that she was going to be a runner. They said they were prepared for runners. I asked them if there was something specific that caused them to go back on what they said, and there was no explanation. Only an ‘it’s not working out.’” She blew out a frustrated breath. “And since she’s only there on a trial basis, they were able to terminate the temporary contract.”

Court looked like he was finally understanding.