Page 95 of With This Ring
“Hey, Auntie,” Skye called when she came into the office later that afternoon. “I had the craziest day. I can’t believe we have finals coming up next week.” She paused in the doorway. “Wait. Did the pipes burst again?”
Dakota pointed toward the line of buckets in her office, along with the furniture that she’d covered with plastic. Her shoulders withered. “I checked with my landlord, and she insists the leak and damage are all my responsibility, which is what it says in the lease. So I’ve called three plumbers so far, but no one can come before next week. I’m at my wits’ end.”
“Have you reached out to Grandpa and asked him for help?”
Dakota swiped her fingers under her eyes, hoping she didn’t smudge her makeup. “Not yet.”
“Call him now. He’ll know what to do.” Skye yanked her phone from her back pocket. “I’ll dial him, and we can both talk to him on speaker.”
“No, Skye.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can handle this myself. This is my business.”
Skye folded her arms over her middle. “Why won’t you listen to me?”
“I am listening to you. I’m just telling you I need to handle this my way.”
“But your way isn’t working. Don’t you see that?” Skye gestured around the room. “The ceiling is falling in on us. It’s time you got someone to help.”
Dakota glowered. “I just told you that I’ve been calling plumbers.”
“But you need to call Grandpa.”
Dakota sighed. “Honey, there’s no way that—”
“He can help, Auntie. I know he can.”
Dakota shook her head. “I can handle this myself.”
“No, you can’t.” Skye’s dark eyes narrowed. When her eyes brimmed with tears, she brushed them away. “Your whole problem is that you just won’t listen to anyone else. No matter how hard I try to help you, you tell me I’m wrong.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is. You ignore what I say because you think I’m a dumb sixteen-year-old.”
“Sweetie, I would never—”
“Don’t call mesweetie!” Skye’s voice sounded thready. “I can’t talk to you because you won’t listen, so why should I even try?” She wrenched her backpack up from the floor. “I give up. It’s not worth it.”
Dakota faltered and her mouth dropped open. “What?”
“You heard me.” Tears streamed down her pink cheeks. “I quit.”
Dakota’s chest clutched. “What?”
“I said I quit!” With that, Skye turned and stomped out of the store.
Dakota stared after her as her world began to crumble.
***
“Isn’t that your sister?” Gavin asked Hudson. The men stood in the middle of the nearly completed restaurant site the following afternoon, the scent of paint hovering in the air. The rest of the construction crew worked at giving the newly built restaurant a fresh coat of bright-white paint.
Hudson turned toward the doorway, where Layla stood. Dressed in purple scrubs, she hugged her arms to her chest. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her expression was grave. A cold sensation washed over him as he took off toward her. “Layla, what’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong.” Her eyes smoldered with fire. “You ruined my life!” she yelled, and he flinched at her sharp tone.