Page 132 of End It All

I groaned. “Goddamnit.”

“Blakey.”

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. I know. Sorry. Sorry.” I rubbed the back of my head that still stung. Right, she didn’t know a lot about me either. “I’ll tell you everything. One day. I promise.”

After she stared for a while, the uncomfortable silence making me squirm, she smiled softly. “You have a car, Quincy?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered.

"Good, you can drive. I’m starving. And I want to hear all about how you two met."

Three weeksof living with Blake’s mom was catching up to me. I was at my limit. Blake wasn't home yet and I was ready to see him, but more than that, I was bored out of my fucking mind. His mother had been in town for almost a month and she was cleaning every single thing in sight. My nerves were shot being in the same place as her. I knew she meant well, and Blake had tried to talk to her about it, but when she saw a mess, she cleaned it. My skin was crawling and it was taking everything in me not to blow up.

Therapy was still new and I wasn't sure if the woman who was counseling me was going to work out. There weren't a whole lot of people who could handle the sordid tale of my childhood and the bloody life I had lived. My stomach twisted as I stepped out of the bedroom. The place smelled like fresh lemons anddisinfectant spray. The heat was blasting, keeping the whole apartment toasty. We were still well into winter and the frigid weather wasn't letting up any time soon.

Don't check it.

I turned to look at the corner of the living room where I kept some of the stuff I hadn't had the courage to trash just yet. I blew out a breath as I saw the old skateboard and some books I was probably never going to read. I needed to get rid of them but the thought made me queasy.

One thing at a time.I picked up the books and looked over the titles before I decided which to donate. Not tossing it out, but removing it from our space.

"Oh, Quincy. You're up. Thought you'd sleep forever. Want to go grocery shopping with me?" Veronica asked. She held up a wad of cash. "Blake left some money behind to get a few things. Oh, he also left you a note. Don't worry, I didn't read it."

I took the piece of paper from her. He could have texted me instead. I opened it, not sure what to expect, but hoping it contained a dirty picture.

Quincy, here is some cash. Our stash is getting low and we apparently have an event to attend in two weeks. Pick out a nice suit.

-Your sugar daddy.

I crumpled the paper cursing under my breath in Japanese.

"Everything okay?" Veronica watched me curiously.

"Your son is being—" a dick. An insufferable bastard. I swallowed all the insults down.

She peeked around me at the note and sighed. "He gets that from his father's side of the family. If you did something wrong, he will torture you as long as possible."

I nodded. Yeah, I could tell. He was lucky I loved his ass. "I'll have to pass on grocery shopping. Sorry."

She waved me off. "No need to apologize. I’ll have a girl day on my own."

I moved closer and hesitated. She was Blake's mother, and although she was affectionate with him, I wasn't sure about myself. It wasn't like I had a lot of experience with this. Unless my mother needed something from me, her love wasn't offered. Veronica's head tilted back as she met my gaze. Her smile was warm, just like Blake’s as she closed the distance between us and wrapped her small arms around me. I froze instantly. I had gotten more hugs in the past month than I'd gotten in my twenty-nine years of life. After a moment, I hugged her back, soaking in this unfamiliar warmth. As much as she drove me crazy, I was also enjoying the moments I had with her.

We pulled apart, and I couldn't help but wipe away the sudden tear that had broken free. Luckily, Veronica was a lady and didn't point it out.

"No need to cook tonight. I have plans for Blake,” I said.

"Okay, sounds good to me. You two have fun." Veronica squeezed my hand.

I left and headed for the street as I typed on my phone. Some things needed to change and it needed to happen now. I hailed a taxi. I'd donate the books since there was a shop on the way.

Quincy: I can't do this shit anymore!

Ash: What's wrong?

Tex: What did he do?

Harlow: You finally going stir crazy?