Page 3 of The Afterthought
My presence is required. That's weird. "I haven't been in Dune Valley in seven years. Why would I need to come in now?"
"You see, as it turns out, you have a half-sister. Her mother passed away this afternoon from a terminal illness that she has been fighting, and you are listed as Chloe's new guardian."
Shock floods through me. A sister? Guardian? I'm barely able to be responsible for myself. How the hell am I supposed to care for someone else on top of that? This would mean I have to go back to that town, where he is, where the memories are.
"You're going to have to explain this to me, Sheriff. You knew my father. Are you saying he had an affair while married to my mother?"
"I know this may be tough to digest. This is why I was hoping I could get you in the office so that we could discuss this in person."
"I can't take care of a kid," I state plainly.
"Chloe is seventeen, so she won't exactly require a ton of care. I know coming back here may not be something that you intended, but I'm asking you to consider it. If you do not take over as Chloe's guardian, we will have to contact the state. I would rather not subject her to the foster system at seventeen."
"She's seventeen?" I question, even though he clearly just said she was. I’m trying to rationalize this.
That would mean she was born when I was eight. Two years before my father died. How could I go all these years without knowing? She must have also just found out about me. Not only did she lose her mother, but she found out she has a mysterious sister. She probably thinks I didn't want anything to do with her.
"Yes, she would only need you to legally care for her for the next few months. I hate to push this on you so fast, but we really need your answer on how you wish to proceed. Chloe is my daughter's best friend, so I don't mind letting her stay with us for the night. If you accept the responsibility of the guardianship, you will need to be back in town within the next 24 hours. You will only need to stay until she turns eighteen or graduates high school and is able to take over the ownership of her mother's house. I will need you to fill out some paperwork, but I'm asking you to please consider this. The last thing this poor girl needs is another life change. You are her only chance at keeping what remains of any normalcy she’s known."
I take a moment to think this through. It's only a few months. I can still do some investigating work around my hometown or find something under the table to make extra cash. There are plenty of shady people there, considering it's filled with not only drugs but also gangs.
I try to put myself in her shoes. She just lost her mother. Our shared father is also dead. Now she is facing the possibility of being uprooted from her entire life, oh, and she just found out about me. As much as I hate the idea of returning to that town, I'm not that selfish.
"I guess I'm coming home," I tell him.
"Great, thank you so much, Avalynn. Once you get into town, stop by the police station. We will go over everything else then.”
Looks like I'm fucking going back to Dune Valley. I scan the coffee shop to see if the guy who was standing behind me in line is still here. If I'm going back to that town, I'm going to have a little bit of fun first to blow off some steam.
I spot him in the corner, and his eyes meet mine for a moment. They are filled with lust. I lift a finger and curl it, indicating for him to come over to me. He stands and walks over with a huge grin spread across his face. A surge of desire fills me at his obedience.
"It’s your lucky day. I need someone to take my emotions out on."
"Is that so? What exactly did you have in mind?"
"My place, minimal talking, and no clothing," I tell him, getting straight to the point.
"I'd ask what made you change your mind, but I don't think you'd bother answering. I'll just take the win."
"Let's go. I live nearby." I reach down to grab his hand and pull him out of the coffee shop.
The idea of going back to Dune Valley has me feeling things I haven't felt in years. I need these feelings fucked out of me. This guy was just easy pickings since he was already interested in having me on my back. I won't be staying here any longer, so I don't give a shit if he knows where I live.
We make the quick three-minute walk to the apartment building just around the corner from the coffee shop, and I enter the code to open the building's doors. He follows behind me quietly, not saying a single word as we slide into the elevator.
The doors slide closed, and when I turn to look at him, he's grinning. He really thinks that he had this in the bag the entire time. I get a slight sense of satisfaction in knowing that I'm using him for my own needs, not the other way around.
"I like it rough," I say just as the elevator dings, indicating we've landed on the fourth floor.
"Well fuck, I wasn't expecting you to be such a spitfire, but I can't say I'm disappointed." He closes the distance between us as we approach my door.
I slide the key in and turn to look at him over my shoulder. "Don't be gentle with me, and don't make me regret inviting you up here. I can make myself come in five minutes or less.” I grin and push the door open. “Do you think you can live up to the challenge?" I say as I step inside.
Within seconds, he's on me, kicking the door shut and using one of his arms to pin the top of my body to the wall. "I love a challenge."
He pushes up my black dress, not hesitating to slide his free hand over to my pussy. "So, Rachel? Is that your real name?
“Does it matter? I don't care what your name is, and you don't need to know mine. Now, the clock is ticking, big guy." I narrow my eyes and watch his darken.