16. Chapter 16 - Regina
Chapter 16 - Regina
“K yle, how long do you think it will take to fix my car?” I question, wanting to get my car fixed so I can be on my way. My phone is on speaker, allowing me to work on my computer.
“Well, Ms. Chaney…” Kyle says politely but hesitantly.
“Regina, please,” I ask, cutting him off.
“Okay, Regina. We contacted your insurance company. They don’t think the pictures we sent warrant the cost of the estimate. They are sending an adjuster to look at it.” He pauses, and I know what Kyle says next won’t make me happy. “With the snow we already have and another storm coming, it will be a few days before they get here.”
Great!
“What does that mean?” I ask hesitantly, expecting more bad news.
“Until the insurance company approves the repairs, we can’t order parts.” Kyle pauses again, and my frustration builds. “Once we get them ordered,” he continues. “It could still be a couple of weeks before it’s finished.”
Reigning in my temper due to my own ignorance, I respond.
“Okay. Thank you, Kyle. Please let me know if you need anything. And if you would please keep me updated, it would be appreciated,” I tell him, trying to remain pleasant. None of this is his fault.
“Sure thing, Regina,” he says before ending the call.
Flopping myself down on the couch, I let out a frustrated scream.
My phone rings, and I accept the call without looking at it and immediately regret it.
“Regina, where the fuck are you?” Jaygon’s angry voice comes through so loud I have to pull the phone away from my ear.
Deciding to ignore his question, I ask one of my own.
“Why are you calling me? We are done,” I tell him again.
“We are not over until I say we are,” he spits out. “Get the fuck home, now !”
Heaving a sigh, trying not to let Jay bait me into an argument, I respond, keeping my voice as even as possible.
“Yeah,” I say with a breathy sigh. “You make me want to get right on that, Jaygon. We are over, done, caput. Whatever term you want to use.” Putting the phone on speaker, I head to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. “Our relationship was going nowhere. You made it abundantly clear when you tried to pimp me out.” Taking a deep breath and twisting my fingers together to stop my hands from trembling, I continue, not letting Jaygon get a word in. “Lose my number and forget I exist.”
Quickly ending the call and blocking Jaygon’s number, my chest heaves as I try to calm down. My annoyance at the delay of my car repairs has me sending up a prayer of thanks to the big man upstairs. It emphasizes my belief that everything happens for a reason.
Taking my coffee into the living room, I sit down and call Rafferty. He picks up on the second ring.
“How’s my baby sister doing?”
Pausing to clear my throat, knowing Raff’s good mood is going to disappear as soon as I speak, I try to hide my emotions.
“It’s okay. How are things at home?”
“What happened?” Rafferty asks, immediately on alert. The man knows me too well.
“Did you pay Jaygon a visit yet?” My hesitant tone puts him in full cop mode.
“Not yet,” Rafferty snaps. “Work has been too busy. What did the fucktard do now?”
Ignoring Rafferty’s angry tone, knowing it isn’t aimed at me, I launch into recapping the conversation with Jay. By the time I am finished, Rafferty is irate.
“My partner and I will have a word with him,” he pauses, taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly, “It’s a good thing you are gone. You might want to stay there for a while, at least until we know he isn’t going to be a problem.”
“I couldn’t leave if I wanted to,” I state flatly. “The garage said they have to wait for the insurance company to come look at my car. It is going to be a couple of weeks, at the earliest, before they can fix it.”
Rafferty heaves a sigh of relief, surprising me.
“Good,” he calls out, causing me to pull the phone away from my ear to make sure I am talking to my brother. “Having looked up that town, it seems like a decent place. Not much crime is on record,” Raff says. “It’s also in the middle of nowhere. Jaygon would be hard-pressed to find you.”
My shoulders sag in relief as a muted voice comes through the line.
“We need to go. A call just came in. Don’t worry about Jay. If he calls you again, let me know,” Raff says hurriedly.
“I blocked his number, so it shouldn’t be an issue,” I tell him.
“Okay, G. Love you,” Rafferty says, a little distracted.
“Love you too. Stay safe.”
Rafferty ends the call without any acknowledgment.
Deciding that coffee isn’t strong enough for me and needing a slight change in scenery, I change my clothes and make my way downstairs.