When I got to the living room, I picked up my massive bag that was still holding my computer and jewelry box.
Slipping it onto my shoulder, I walked to the door which I’d barricaded with my recliner the night before.
It wouldn’t have held whoever decided to come into my place off for long, but it’d given me enough courage to stay there that night.
The cops had thankfully been very nice about doing a walk through after taking my report, and the moment that they’d left, I’d gone about shoving the chair into place.
I just wished I could get it behind the door again once I left.
Sighing in annoyance at the fact that I wouldn’t be able to do that, and I’d have to leave my place unattended for a bit while the super came to fix my lock—again—I closed it behind me and acted like I locked it in case anyone was watching.
It wasn’t a surprise at all to see the drug dealer at my car again.
That was where he liked to conduct his business.
Keeping my eyes downcast, I got into my car and backed out without once making eye contact.
It was only when I was pulling out that I looked up to see the drug dealer grinning.
Asshole.
I arrived at the restaurant with minutes to spare and smiled when Sierra got out of her car and hurried to me.
“How did last night go?” she asked with a grin.
I groaned.
“Last night was awful,” I admitted. “I was the reason that the cake spilled all over the floor—which I know you heard about from somebody by now. And after I left and arrived home it was to find my place broken into.”
Sierra grimaced.
“You really need to move out of there,” she urged.
I shrugged. “It takes money, honey.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “You have the money. So you don’t pay so much on your student loans. I know that they’re not crippling.”
She was right.
But I didn’t want to have them at all, hence the reason I was paying more than I needed to a month. I didn’t want them to hang over my head for the next ten years like a wet blanket reminding me that I was a dumbass.
Another car door shut and I looked up to find one of our newest additions to our weekly lunches.
Hastings.
“Hey, Hastings!” I waved at my new friend.
I’d actually met Hastings through another friend that I’d graduated college with, Amelia, first. But then Hastings had gotten prego by Sierra’s brother and now I really had the time to get to know her.
Hastings smiled softly at me. “Hey, Reggie. It’s very nice to see you.”
I felt an intense surge of pleasure.
Why couldn’t Nathan say things like that to me? Why did it always have to be straight women that showed me that kind of attention?
“It’s nice to see you, too,” I replied before gesturing toward the door. “Y’all hungry?”
It was an hour into our lunch, my hair was braided, and we were just finishing up our food when Hastings got up to go to the bathroom.
“So, do you want to go tubing with us?” Sierra asked curiously.
I was already shaking my head.
“It’s too cold,” I explained, licking sauce off of my fingers.
“Please,” Sierra begged. “She needs all the help she can get right now. She needs friends. And you’re so sweet, Reggie. And she knows you because you worked with her sister.”
She held out a photo of the river that she wanted me to float that was pulled up on her phone.
I looked at the tube that Sierra wanted me to use to float down the river in, and then back to my friend.
“It’s like, eighty degrees out. The water’ll be freezing,” I said, ready to tell her no.
“Please, please, please,” she begged. “Hastings will be so much more comfortable with all of us around.”
My brows rose. “You mean, with all of us around, your brother won’t want to ask you questions about anything baby related.”
“I’m just… I won’t be able to hold my tongue,” she admitted. “He’ll say something, and I’ll reply, and the next thing I know I’ll be telling him which donor I chose.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re going to have to tell him eventually.”
“And I will,” she agreed. “But only after I get myself knocked up.”
I snorted.
“You’re like the worst person ever when it comes to telling your family things. Remember Mark?” I asked.
Mark was an ex-boyfriend of hers who’d treated her like crap.
To this day, I didn’t think that her parents knew just how badly he’d hurt her emotionally.
Sure, they likely knew that they had a bad breakup. But being bad and bad were two different things.
She snorted. “How could I forget? I asked him to have a baby with me, and he responded by basically leaving me.”
“It’s just that, I think that it would be best for your family to know what you’re doing. They’re going to ask questions. How will you explain this?” I asked.
She scrunched up her nose. “I was just going to end up pregnant and say ‘whoopsie.’ I am an adult, you know.”
I’d believe it when I saw it—or heard it.
Sierra was going to tell them everything.
I groaned and looked at my watch as Hastings suddenly appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, looking slightly green.
She hustled over to us with money already in her had. “I have to go. This place is making me want to puke.”
Sierra and I both stood and put our own cash down, covering our portions of the bill.
“Hastings, tell Reggie that she needs to go tubing with us,” Sierra ordered.
Hastings turned to look at me over her shoulder as she pushed through the front door.
“Please?” She rolled her lip over, pouting beautifully. “It was so much fun last time. I really think that you’d enjoy it.”
I sighed.
“Fine,” I grumbled.
Hastings laughed all the way to her car.
Hell,
