"I'm not calling tell you I'm going to be late," I say. "I'm actually not coming in at all today. I called to tell you I need some time off."
"You need to what?"
That seems to have cut right through his grogginess, and I expect him to call me Tina any second now.
"I need to take some time off. There’s been an emergency at home, and I need to take care of my grandmother."
"I'm not giving you any special treatment or arrangement, Tina."
And there it is.
"I'm not asking for a special arrangement," I say. "I'm not even asking for a leave of absence. I'm going to use the vacation time I had been planning on using for my wedding and honeymoon later in the year."
I hadn't exactly wanted to say that, but the conversation seems to be going poorly, and I feel I need every bit of leverage I can get.
"But I thought you weren't going to use that vacation time," he says, his voice creeping up higher as he begins to sound distinctly like a toddler preparing for an epic temper tantrum. "You're not even getting married anymore."
That's when I snap. I've always liked to think of myself as a person that has a bit more control over their emotions than most, but apparently, I overestimated myself.
"Thank you so much for reminding me," I retort. "If you hadn't been so kind as to give me that little reminder, I might have just forgotten that whole situation and showed up for my dress fitting. As it is, I'm not going to be around for it, so…" I let out a sarcastic exhalation like I'm deeply relieved, "really dodged a bullet on that one. I'm going to be taking the full three weeks of vacation owed to me considering I didn't take any last year. Esme is familiar with the bakery I use to get the donuts. I'm sure she can handle picking them up in the morning. I'll see you at the office in three weeks."
I disconnect the call before he can say another word. An instant later, the conversation rushes back to me.
Shit.
I dial Esme as I drag my suitcase out to my car.
"I might have just volunteered you to pick up the donuts for the office while I'm gone."
I open my car door and even at this early hour, oppressive heat flows out toward me. Great.
"What?" Esme asks in an incredulous tone that’s almost a squawk. "Why would you do that? I barely have enough time to get ready in the morning and still get there on time. Now I'm going to have to try to go to the bakery, too?"
Reaching across the front seat, I shove my key into the ignition and turn it. Nothing. I wiggle the key and turn it again. Nothing. It doesn't even pretend to try and turn over.
"Shit. Shit, shit, damn it, shit."
"Ok," Esme says. "If it's that important, I can do it. I'll just do my makeup in the car. What kinds should I pick up? A few raspberry-filled, some custard-filled, a couple of lemon, some boring-ass glazed for the accounting department. Oooo, and an eclair. That's for me –"
I sigh. This day has already gone to shit, and the sun is barely up. Great.
"Esme. My car won't start."
"What?" Esme asks, snapping out of her sugar-inspired fantasy.
"My car," I repeat, gently banging my head on the wheel. "It won't start."
"Is there something wrong with your battery?" she asks. "Did you leave a door open or something?"
"I don't know," I say. "I don't think I did." I let out a sigh of exasperation. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? Grammie is waiting for me. She sounds really horrible, her voice was weak, and she was coughing a lot."
A few seconds of silence pass between us.
"Do people generally cough when they break their ankle?" Esme asks.
I think about it for a moment, then shake my head.
"I need to figure out a way to get out of here as fast as possible, and this car isn’t going anywhere."
* * *
Two hours later…
"You're not allowed to call me anymore for the rest of the week if you keep this up," Esme chimes as she answers the phone. "You're using up your call quota."
"I know. I'm sorry. I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way to the airport."
"The airport?" Esme asks, sounding confused.
"Yes. I called the roadside assistance people to come out and test the battery, and it turns out the battery is perfectly fine."
"That's good."
"But the starter is not."
"That's not good."
"No. It's not. They say it can be fixed, but the shops around are all busy and won't be able to get to it until at least tomorrow. Then they have to see if there’s one that will fit and blah, blah, blah. In conclusion, I found a super cheap flight, called a cab, and Grammie is sending one of her friends to pick me up."
"You're flying two hours?"
"No, I'm flying about 45 minutes. But the airport is a good 40 minutes from the house, so it’s not really any better.”
"Are you sure you're OK? You seem frazzled."
"Honestly? I am frazzled. But I'm going to be fine."
"Really? I could come and get you. Just tell the cab to pull over."
"I'm already almost at the airport."
"Then wait at the airport."
"You have to bear the donuts. The responsibility has fallen to you. Thank you, though. I appreciate it."
"Of course. Let me know how everything goes."
"I will."
I hang up and tuck the phone into my carry-on. In the twenty minutes before the cab arrived at my apartment, I had frantically redistributed all the luggage from my car into one big suitcase and this carry-on so I wouldn't have to check more than that. Now I'm wondering if I have everything I'll need or if I'm going to have to shop for clothes as part of my new identity as a nurse.
The airport looms ahead of us, and suddenly I'm nervous. I don't know what's waiting for me at the house. Even if Esme is right, and Grammie only needs help while she gets used to a cast, I know there's more back home I'll have to face. The emotions I felt while walking away from that house for the (supposedly) last time were overwhelming. Soul-crushing. The worst thing is, I know those feelings are still there, patiently waiting for me. And I don't know if I'm strong enough to face them.
End of sample. Click here to continue reading Not Over You.
Also by R.S. Lively
Not Over You
Hate To Love
Accidentally Royal
About the Author
R.S. Lively is a romance writing duo consisting of Ruth Scott and Lauren Lively. With every page you turn, their passion for books and love of romance jumps out. Their novels are guaranteed to bring you laughter, and light up your day/night. If you're looking for a beautiful, sexy, funny, and sweet romance... You'll love their wonderful creations!
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