“That looked like the easiest job interview I’ve ever seen.” A girl pops up out of nowhere. I’ve seen her here a few times. Her brunette hair is longer in the front but shorter on the sides. Tattoos cover both of her arms, which I find fascinating. She’s wearing a tank that shows off how muscular she is, which means she must lift weights a lot.
I chuckle at her words and nod. “I guess so.”
“I’m Ruby.” She gives me her hand.
“Tyler,” I reply.
“I work the front counter,” she clarifies. “I guess that means we’ll be seeing each other a lot.”
“I guess you’re right.” I smirk, walking backward toward the door. “See ya tomorrow?”
Ruby smiles, showing off her bright, straight teeth. “Six sharp.”
By the time I make it home, I have thirty minutes to shower and get ready for work. Though I wasn’t expecting to be out that long this morning, I feel a million times better and am glad I did. I should be exhausted, but I’m running on pure adrenaline. I got a second job, plus I made a new friend. It might not be a shitty day after all.
By the time I walk into the shop, Gemma’s already working. She meets my eyes for a split second, then looks back at her computer. Neither of us says a word as I make my way to the garage and close the door behind me. I don’t bother grabbing coffee or a pastry even though I really should’ve after my morning, but I’ll manage until my lunch break.
Jerry keeps me busy all morning, but by noon, I’m drained from a lack of sleep. I’m losing energy, and he notices, asking me if I’m okay. I admit I didn’t get any rest and got up early to work out. I worry about disappointing him, but he understands.
“Go home, son. I can clean up,” he tells me at three, a couple of hours before my shift is supposed to end.
“You’re sure?” I feel guilty about leaving him to do the rest.
“Of course. I managed without help for years.” He barks out a hefty laugh.
“I owe you one, Jerry.” I take off my gloves, then wash my hands before waving goodbye. As I open the door, I immediately regret not walking out the back exit.
Fucking Robert.
They continue talking as I make my way to the coffee table. He’s not even being quiet as he asks her about last night, and my spine straightens as I listen to her response.
“It was nothing, just a false alarm. I thought someone was following me.”
What the fuck? Why would she lie about that?
“Are you sure? I can get the sheriff to investigate this and stake out your place for a few nights. He owes me a helluva favor anyway.”
I roll my eyes. Of course, he does. Probably throws his money at everything and everyone in this town.
“No, no,” Gemma insists. “That’s not necessary.”
Once I grab the last donut and fill my cup with coffee, I stalk toward the door. Before I can walk out, Gemma calls my name, holding me in place.
“Are you leaving?”
“Jerry said I could.”
Robert mutters something under his breath, and I hear her tell him to be quiet.
“Oh, okay. See you tomorrow then.”
She glares at Robert when he mumbles something else.
“Is there a problem?” I step inside, letting the door hit my back.
“No, it’s nothing. Enjoy your afternoon,” Gemma quickly says before Robert can get a word out.
I know the asshole hates me, considering the way he tried to bombard me at the pub a few weeks ago, but if he has something to say, then he can man up and say it to my face.
“What’s the issue then?” My feet move forward as my exhaustion and anger catch up to me.
Robert faces me. “My issue is that you’re working with my wife, and you have a criminal record,” he finally speaks louder so I can understand him.
“She’s not your wife yet,” I spit out.
“Gemma will be very soon,” he states proudly. “But it won’t matter because she won’t be working here much longer, so it won’t be a problem.”
Oh, there’s gonna be a big motherfucking problem if he thinks he can mold her into whatever the hell he wants.
I wait for Gemma to argue, to say she’s not going to be a Stepford wife, and stand up for herself or something. But she stays silent and bows her head.
“So, it’s gonna be like that.” I tighten my lips and nod. “Alright, then.”
I slam my hand against the door, and when it whips open, I walk out without glancing back.
Chapter Nineteen
GEMMA
I’m so happy it’s Saturday because the past three days at work have been absolute torture. I can’t believe I asked Tyler to kiss me and then lost control with him. I can’t even blame my bad decisions on being drunk. Of course, I remembered what kissing him felt like, but for some reason, I wanted the reminder. I needed the reminder. It was just as good as it was all those years ago, too. I was brought back to being two ravenous kids hungry and desperate for each other. As soon as my body unraveled and I came down from my high, realization hit and so did the guilt. Cheating was something I never thought I’d do, but I did, and my emotions overwhelmed me as the remorse settled in.