Chapter Two
O’Shea
“You have seventeen new messages. First message…”
I sighed inwardly, already knowing who majority, if not all, of the messages were from.
“Shea…it’s Kayla. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since…everything happened. Can we at least talk about it? I really didn’t mean to—”
“Message deleted. Next message.”
“It’s me again. Please call me back—”
“Message deleted. Next message.”
“Shea, it’s your mother. Kayla has been calling me nonstop asking where you’ve run off to and I’m running out of things to tell her. Give me a call when you get a chance. I love you, son.”
“Message deleted. Next message.”
I went through the rest of the messages, deleting them halfway through whenever I’d heard Kayla’s voice. This had been my routine ever since I’d left Virginia, listening and deleting all voicemails and text messages from her. I was sure she’d said everything she’d needed to say during our last conversation, so I was no longer interested in hearing what she wanted to talk about three months later.
“Morning, Smith,” my boss, Rocky, said as he walked out of his small office. I looked up from my phone and gave him a small smile.
“Morning, Rocky. How’s that arthritis treating you today?”
“Eh, I ain’t no spring chicken, but I’ll manage. Got my sidekick with me today,” he answered, taking a bottle of Aleve out of the pocket of his overalls and giving it a shake.
I chuckled. “That’s good then,” I said, following him out of the waiting area of the repair shop and into the garage.
“Oh yeah, since I like ya so much, I’m assigning you the doozy that came in last night,” Rocky said as he unlocked the door to the garage.
“A doozy? That bad?”
“From what I’ve heard, yeah. It was late when it came in, so I haven’t seen it just yet. Jared called me to let me know he was dropping it off. I guess we’re both in for a surprise,” he said, pulling the door open.
“Shit,” I mumbled when the car came into view. Blood covered the middle of the badly cracked windshield and hood, mud covering the bumper that looked as if it hung by a miracle.
“Looks like it’ll be quite a fix,” Rocky said as I continued staring at the car.
“What the hell did they hit? An elephant?” I asked. He was definitely right about the car being quite a fix. Dollar signs racked up in my mind as I continued to examine the damage. The owner of the car was already looking at a hefty bill and I hadn’t even looked under the hood yet.
“Not an elephant, but a deer. You know those son of a bitches are everywhere around these parts. Hit the deer and landed right in a ditch,” Rocky said and clasped my shoulder with a firm hand.
I nodded and rubbed the stubble growing along my jawline. “That explains the mud then,” I said with a sigh. My phone rang in my pocket, setting my teeth on edge.
“That ex of yours again, eh?” Rocky asked.
“Probably so,” I said with a sigh.
“If she’s still chasing you after three months, maybe she wants to reconsider,” he said and walked away. I ground my teeth. Just because she may be ready to reconsider didn’t mean I was. I’d leave her to simmer for a little while longer.
Crunching gravel snapped me out of my musings, revealing a Jeep Cherokee coming down the driveway.
“Ah, there’s my niece,” Rocky said, taking a few steps out of the garage as the Jeep rolled to a stop next to the damaged Nissan Altima. When the three women stepped out, it wasn’t hard to spot which one was the owner of the car.
“What…the…fuck,” she exclaimed, making her way over to the car and examining the damage. She removed the baseball cap from her head and ran a frustrated hand through her black hair, revealing a huge knot on her forehead. Despite the alien egg growing out of her head, the woman was fucking gorgeous. Her baby blue eyes scanned the car as she nibbled on her bottom lip, stress tightening her baby doll features. My eyes drifted along her body, my gaze briefly settling on the tops of her breasts exposed by the fitted tank top she wore. Her Daisy Dukes put her long, slender legs on display and her ass was something to marvel. I definitely wonder what it would be like to have those legs wrapped around my—
“Don’t drown yourself in your own drool, kid,” Rocky joked under his breath as he went out to meet the women. “Ashton, Ava, Alex—so good to see you again.”
“Same, Uncle Rocky,” the petite blonde said with a smile as she hugged Rocky. “You really need to get that driveway of yours fixed. I could’ve messed up my tires or my suspension coming down here.”
“Well, how else would I get customers?” he teased, chucking her under the chin.
I stepped out of the garage and over to the dark-haired beauty. When she didn’t notice my presence, I cleared my throat and put my hands in my pockets.
“You must be the deer killer,” I stated with a smirk. The stress that once filled her face quickly morphed into irritation.
“Excuse me?” she spat. So sexy when she’s mad.
I nodded toward her car. “This is your car, isn’t it? The one you hit the deer with last night?”
She folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes at me. “Were you there to see me hit it?” she asked.
And she was a smart ass. How cute.
“Well, with the blood on your car, the alien egg on your forehead there, and the fact that you’re not in jail for hitting a person…I think it’s safe to assume you’re the deer killer,” I stated, the smirk never leaving my face. Her tanned skin turned a light shade of red as she placed the baseball cap back on her head, trying to rearrange her bangs to hide the knot. I glanced over to her two friends, both of them watching us with grins plastered to their faces.
“Hey, space cadet, want to come back to Earth to tell me the damage or are you just going to stare at my friends?” she snapped.
“You’re funny, you know that?” I mused, wagging my finger at her. She rolled her eyes. “First, I’ll properly introduce myself. I’m—”
“An asshole,” she interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. I chuckled.
“Sadly, that isn’t it, though I’ve been called that plenty of times.”
“Yeah, I don’t doubt that,” she muttered under her breath. “Look, I don’t care what your name is. Just tell me what’s going on with my car.”
“The deer killer is impatient, I see,” I said, ignoring the glare she gave me. “In order to get an idea, I need to know the details of what happened.”
She looked at me with wide eyes and exaggerated shock as she placed her hand on her chest. “Details, you say?” she asked. “But I thought you had it all figured out ‘considering that I’m not in jail, that there’s blood all over my car, and I have an alien egg on my head,’ remember? Now Inspector Gadget wants details!”
I stared at her for a moment, my smirk never wavering. “Are you done? I mean I have all day, pretty lady. Keep going if that’s what excites you.”
She scowled. “Whatever. I hit a deer and ran into a ditch. The end.”
“I see. Did you see how big it was?”
“Hell if I know. It was dark,” she muttered.
I took a few steps away from her and re-examined the front of the car once more, stroking the stubble on my chin.
“Well, you’ll need a windshield, hood, a few parts to reconstruct the front, like a grill and headlights. You’re also leaking antifreeze, so you’ll have to get that fixed. I wouldn’t be surprised if you need a new radiator either. This deer did a number on your car,” I said. She looked at the car warily, nibbling on her bottom lip again. Wonder if they’re as soft as they look.
“How far in the hole am I then?” she asked, wringing her hands together.
“It’s still too early to know officially since I haven’t looked under the hood yet, but just by looking at it…probably $2,500 if I don’t find anything else.”
“Fuck!” She pinched the bridge of her nose and blew out a breath. “I’m so fucked.” She stumbled forward slightly, her hand catching against the window.
“Whoa, you all right?” I asked, securing her other arm. She snatched away from me.
“Don’t touch me,” she said, her voice a bit breathless. I held my hands up and stepped back. That was probably well deserved considering I’d been acting like an ass.
“Okay then. I’ll be sure to look away when you’re ready to face-plant into the ground and crack your head open.”
“Stop talking while you’re ahead, asshole,” she snapped. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.”
She put her face in her hands and groaned. I actually felt a little bad for her. I didn’t know her story, but something else other than stress and irritation harbored in her eyes. There was also pain and confusion, and I was sure that had nothing to do with the car. I’d seen the same thing every time I looked at myself in the mirror for the first couple of weeks after Kayla and I broke up. Thank God I finally woke the hell up.
After an awkward pause, I cleared my throat. “So…what would you like me to do about your car?” I asked.
She sighed. “Just fix it. I’ll figure something out,” she muttered. I nodded just as her two friends approached her, putting an arm around her.
“So what’s the damage?” her friend with chestnut hair asked.
“You don’t even want to know,” she answered, rubbing the back of her neck. Her friend looked at me, her eyes scanning me from head to toe before a smirk pulled at her lips.
“You new around here?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Hmm…” She bit her bottom lip for a moment before smiling. “You’re hot for a mechanic.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Um thanks?” I said with a chuckle.
“I’m Alex,” she said and gestured to the blonde. “And she’s Ava. I’m sure you’re pretty well acquainted with Ashton here.” She gave the dark-haired woman a gentle shake.
So the deer killer had a name.
“Ashton…it’s more fitting than deer killer,” I said with a wink. She rolled her eyes again.
“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock,” she replied. I grinned and shook my head. I probably shouldn’t be turned on by riling her up, but she made it entirely too easy. At the rate she was going, she’d make me want to bend her over my workbench and fuck out all that pent up frustration she had inside of her. Wishful thinking.
“Well ladies, while I’d love to stay and chat, I have work to do.” I looked at the scowling beauty in the middle. “Rocky should be in his office now. You can handle the paperwork with him.”
“Whatever,” she mumbled, moving past me to head to the lobby. A low whistle escaped from my lips as I watched her walk away. She spun around on her heels. “And don’t check us out while we’re walking away!”
I placed a hand over my eyes and turned my head from side to side. “Welp, can’t see a thing but darkness!” I exclaimed sarcastically.
“So mature,” she retorted. I removed my hand at the sound of the jingling bell, indicating they’d gone inside. Though the woman was a feisty firecracker, I was curious about her. I definitely wasn’t on the market for a relationship anytime soon, but a little no-strings-attached fling was always welcomed.
No sooner than the thought crossed my mind, my phone rang again. I was sure she’d just keep calling until I answered, but I didn’t know if I could bear to hear her voice again. I hated that I still loved her and missed her despite what she'd done. My heart made it so hard for my mind to move on. Her voice would only remind me that I’d still never be good enough for her unless I forced myself into the mold she’d made for me. The devil was a goddamn liar if she thought a relationship would ever happen between us again.
∞∞∞
“So what’s the verdict on the car, Smith?” Rocky asked as I lounged on the couch in the break room a few hours later. I shrugged and bit into my apple.
“Everything is the same as I’d told her. She’s lucky.”
“So just the things for the front end, a radiator, and coolant reservoir?”
“Yes, sir,” I stated, just as my phone rang again.
“Just answer her, kid. May as well get it over with,” Rocky said with a sympathetic grin before walking out the room. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to brace myself.
“What?” I said upon answering.
“Now I know I didn’t teach you to answer the phone like that,” my mother fussed.
I sat up with a sigh. “Sorry, ma. Thought you were Kayla.”
“Have you talked to her? She’s been calling me almost nonstop since you left! You two need to stop the foolishness and deal with your issues.”
I clenched my jaw. I wished it were as simple as everyone made it out to be. “Just talk to her,” or “try to work things out,” and “well, maybe she’s ready now.”
“It’s not foolishness, Ma. She’s the one who practically kicked me to the curb, remember?”
“Well, now it seems like she’s ready to reconsider—”
“Weren’t you the one trying to warn me about her in the first place? Now you want us back together?”
“I just want my baby boy back home. I’m worried about you, Shea.”
“Ma, I’m fine—”
“You’re sleeping in hotels and I don’t know if you’re eating and—”
“Ma,” I stated firmly. “I’m fine. I promise.”
Her sigh weighed heavy on my heart. I hated disappointing her, but she could never understand how I felt about this situation. Of course she meant well, but I had no intentions of backing down and getting back with Kayla.
“Can you at least think about talking to her?” she finally asked.
“We’ll see,” I answered, biting in my apple. “I have to get back to work. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, son. Please be safe. I love you, honey bun,” she said. A small smile touched my lips at the sound of my nickname. She’d always called me that as a kid, claiming I was the sweetest thing she’d ever laid eyes on when I was born.
“I love you too, Ma. Talk to you soon,” I said and hung up.
“Hey,” Rocky’s son, Chris, muttered as he walked over to the coffee pot. He was tall and lanky, kind of resembling a praying mantis depending on how he stood. His shaggy brown hair hung over his green eyes and almost covered the top half of his face. You hardly ever saw his eyes unless Rocky forced him to put his hair in a ponytail or behind his ears. His lack of facial hair gave him the looks of a teen boy, which definitely matched his immature behavior 90% of the time.
“Looks like the dead has finally risen,” I teased, taking another bite of the apple. “Work started at nine this morning.”
“Not you too,” he groaned, pressing two fingers against his temple. “Dad’s already chewed me out.”
“I bet.”
“What’s the deal with that Nissan out there?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Eh, some chick hit a deer and ran into a ditch.”
His eyes lit up at the mention of a woman. “Was it a hot chick?” he asked.
“Was she?” I said with a grin. “Her friends were, too.”
“Sounds like a potential gang bang ready to happen,” he said. I laughed and shook my head.
“I don’t think the blonde one would be down with that. Seems like a goody two-shoes.”
He scoffed and waved a dismissive hand at me. “Blondes like to have fun and my magic stick knows how to bring it out of them,” he said, pelvic thrusting and wiggling his eyebrows.
“Nah, that may be the brunette’s speed. Has a sweet face like Lana Del Rey, but I bet she’d fuck you until your nut sack’s empty,” I joked.
Chris abruptly stopped pelvic thrusting and looked at me. “Wait…”
“Too much for you to handle?” I asked with a smirk.
“You said there were three of them?”
“Yep.”
“One of them was blonde and kind of short?”
“Yep.”
“One that kinda looks like Lana?”
“Yep.”
“Please don’t tell me the other has dark hair,” he groaned.
I shrugged. “Why not? She’s fucking sexy, so what?”
“So what? That blonde I just said I’d bang is my cousin, you sick fuck!”
I snorted. “Hey, I don’t keep up with family trees,” I said and smirked. “Didn’t know you were into incest though.”
“Oh fuck off, Smith. It’s not like you gave me any names.”
“You didn’t ask, genius,” I said, standing to my feet and tossing the rest of the apple in the trash. “Are the girls single?”
“My cousin isn’t. Alex is always single, but she’s the biggest whore around, though she won’t give me the time of day. Ashton, on the other hand, had a nasty breakup a few months ago and went psycho. Whole town was talking about it for weeks. Why are all the psychos so fucking hot?” he asked, shaking his head.
Psycho, huh? I wonder what she could’ve done to earn that moniker. My phone pinged with an email alert, displaying an email notification from the local classified ads site. I opened it and read the ad.
Roommate Wanted
Single female looking for roommate for a 2 bed/1 bath apartment to split bills with.
Can be male or female between the ages of 24-30. NO CREEPERS.
Must be able to show proof of income, have references, and willing to undergo a background check.
No smoking and no pets.
If you’d like pictures of the apartment, just reply to the ad and I can email them to you.
Thanks!
-A
I grinned to myself. The “no creepers” requirement automatically screamed that the poster was a woman. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to have the company of a woman, especially if she was nice to look at. I hit the reply button.
Interested in the room you have for rent. What’s the amount you’re looking to split and can you send pics of the place? New in town and definitely need a place ASAP. Thanks.
-O
Living in a hotel room was growing old and so was eating so much fast food. The sooner I could get a place, the better off I’d be. My savings were dwindling down and a mechanic’s salary was a humble one.
As soon as I pressed send on the email, a call from Kayla came in, her name taunting me on the screen. After looking at it for a few moments, I hit the ignore button and put my phone back in my pocket. I knew I had to deal with her at some point, but today definitely wouldn’t be the day.