Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
I’m not even sure how I got home from the library, but when I zone back in, I’m in my car behind my apartment. The car is still running. I shut it off to keep from burning gas.
This is fucked. This is so fucked.
I want to get out of the car, but my body won’t move. It’s like I’m in a fog.
How can I work like this? I can’t work like this. I don't want to work like this.
This town is fucked. I need to go. My hands shake as I count the cash in my wallet. I don’t have enough to move. I have enough for gas and a hotel room for maybe… two nights?
I let my head fall back on the headrest. That’s not enough. I need more. I need at least enough for a rent deposit somewhere else. At the thought, tears fill my eyes.
I need more money. I can do a few more days, right? Maybe I can convince Gage to pay me at the end of every day.
That is, if he keeps me on after today. I power my phone back on. Sure enough, there are two missed calls and a text asking where I am.
I groan. What do I tell him? His asshole brother tricked me into thinking he was him? And what will I do when Axel lies his ass off about it? Because he will. Who’s Gage going to believe? The girl who broke his glasses and clearly can’t stand his guts? Or his literal twin brother?
Right. I’ll just keep my head down and earn as much as I can, then leave town.
I check the clock. It’s only ten thirty. I’ll just tell him I slept in and pray that he keeps me on.
I hit redial and bring the phone to my ear. I feel my hand shaking.
Gage picks up on the first ring. “Raven?”
“Sorry, I overslept. I’m on my way.” I crank the car on.
“Christ, woman.”
There’s silence, and I worry he’s going to fire me right then, so I start talking, “I won’t take a break, and I’ll work late; I’m so sorry. I’m coming.”
Silence again, then a deep sigh. “Whatever. Just get here.”
I drive to the front before realizing I don’t have any lunch with me.
And I’ll be damned if I eat his food again after all this.
So I pull my car up to the front of my place and jump out to grab the extra rice I had from the night before.
As I do, I notice there’s a piece of mail in the small mailbox attached to the front of my house.
I grab it and shiver as I unlock the door. Fuck, it’s gotten really cold here really fast. I grab the food, toss the letter on the front seat beside me, and then fly across town.