Daddy's Girl: A Daddy Issues Novel by Rebel Wild (books to read for 13 year olds .TXT) 📕

better. “It’s strange sleeping in a different bed.”

“I imagine it would be.”

“But then I heard Mr. Garrett giving his closing argument. He’s really good.”

“So, I’ve heard. I sure wouldn’t want to be sitting at the defense table.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Hey, it’s best not to interrupt him when he does that. I did once and he bit my head off.”

“I won’t,” I assure her. “I just find it interesting.”

Joe comes in and he doesn’t look pleased with us talking.

“The shit you women are into,” he says, leaning in the doorway. “Babe, I need to talk to you.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I’m done eating. Your plate’s in the warmer.”

The staring contest resumes again before he grabs his plate of French toast and huffs off, clearly pissed.

“He doesn’t like you talking to me,” I state the obvious after he goes.

“I usually don’t fraternize with Tristan’s friends.”

“Is it against his rules?”

“No, no,” she says. “He has no problem with it. It’s just, not something I do. Most of his friends are skank bitches who come at me with an attitude, but you seem to be nicer.”

“I try to be. No point in being rude.”

I want to ask her about him and the others to better understand how to deal with him, but I don’t want to take advantage of the company she’s offering me. I dig into my French toast and I swear they are the best I have ever tasted.

“I could tell you were different,” she goes on to say. “Not as happy to be here, not as impressed.”

“Impressed?”

“With Tristan and all of this,” she says, motioning around us.

“Oh no, he’s okay, really… I mean…” She laughs a little at my very bad attempt to lie. “I find him… well.” I stop, trying to think of a good word to use. “I don’t really know what to make of him. He is very… close to the cuff, as my dad would say.”

“That’s putting it nicely,” she says. “He can be hard sometimes on people and on himself and I have told him that to his face when he asked me once, so it’s no secret that I think so. But underneath it all, he’s an okay guy. He just doesn’t like to show it. He does all the wrong things for the right reasons.”

“Bree,” Joe calls to her and we both look up at him.

She sighs.

“Well, I’ve bent your ear long enough,” she says as she clears our empty plates. “I’ll leave you to the rest of your morning. Feel free to come back around if you get too lonely. I know how it can be being in this big place all alone.”

“Thanks,” I tell her.

“Any time.”

She walks past an irritated Joe, who trails behind her. I have a feeling they’re about to argue and I’m proven right because the minute he thinks I can’t hear him he starts in on Bree.

“Babe, why do you insist on getting to know that girl? Weren’t you the one about to cut my balls off for talking to her?”

“Yeah, you were being an asshole and it’s different now that I know her.”

“You don’t know her.”

“I know enough.”

“You’ve barely spent thirty minutes with her.”

“Plenty of time for me to know that she’s a good person. You can see it in her eyes and the way she carries herself. And she’s not one of those money-grabbing sluts who he always brings in here. You really should talk to him about that. He gets on you all the time, but he’s fucked up too. Okay, yeah, you get high on Meth, but he gets his high by hitting women. He needs to talk to someone about that.”

I know I shouldn’t be listening to this but my behind is rooted to the seat and my ears are burning. Sometimes I hate being so nosy, but this isn’t one of those times, so I sip my water and continue to listen.

“He is talking to someone,” Joe says.

“Well, they suck because he’s getting worse. She’s a damn kid.”

“She’s not a kid and don’t let this whole thing with her fool you. Does it look like she’s here for anything other than his money? She’s no different than the rest of them.”

“The girl has a stuffed rabbit hidden under her pillows. I mean, come on.”

I roll my eyes at her knowing about my rabbit. I should have hidden him better.

“That’s real cute, but my brother’s treating her like all the others so I will too and so should you.”

“You and your brother can kiss my ass.”

“Why are we fighting about this shit?”

“What do you want me to do, Joe? I’m supposed to be here with her all day. I have to talk to her. I get bored here all alone anyway. I could use some company.”

“He asked me to hang around here too, so you won’t be alone.”

“He did what?”

“He had my community service changed to work here, so I don’t have to clean freeways all damn day.”

“For how long?”

“As long as she’s here. He asked me to keep an eye on her, to make sure she has everything she needs. I guess I’m her new errand boy.”

“So, you say he’s treating her like all the others? I don’t recall him having you at the beck and call of the others. I don’t recall him giving that many shits about the others. Even that loser bitch, what’s her name, that thought she was his girlfriend until he dropped her ass?”

“Portia or some shit,” he says. “Okay, so maybe Sydney’s not exactly like all the others, but she’s far from being anything other than his shiny new sex toy.”

I cringe at him knowing about that.

“I’m worried about that too.” Bree’s voice is lower now and I have to strain to hear her. “She was really uncomfortable when I mentioned the playroom.”

“Maybe she’s not the type to talk sex with strangers.”

“I think it’s more like she’s not having much of it.”

“Babe, that’s none of your damn business. Stay the hell out of it.