I Still Hate You by Marie Skye (top 100 novels .txt) 📕

Not wanting to be home tonight for Ash’s latest conquest, I headed to Tea Lites, my favorite tea place. I was tired. My feet were tired from the ridiculous shoes I made myself wear, and my back was sore. Everything hurt.

I smiled going to the register when I saw Gwen, the owner of Tea Lites, taking orders. “Hey, Pear, you’re here later than usual.”

I sighed. “Tell me about it.”

“The usual?” I nodded as I stood to the side and waited for my order to be made. “How are the twins?”

Her eyes lit up as she prepared my sandwich, “Ornery. Of course, their father lets them get away with everything. We’ll see how they act when this other one comes along.” She patted her belly and my eyes widened.

“Congratulations.” Of course, if I had a husband as hot as Gwen’s, I would be pregnant year-round too.

Finally sitting at my favorite table, I rubbed my neck as I allowed my food to cool a bit and thought about the meeting I recently had with Jacqueline and Gerald.

Gerald was being nominated for County Commissioner. Of course, to get those votes, he had to open his closet to see what skeletons he was willing to let the public know. I was that skeleton. And what a wonderful story for everyone if the daughter they pretended they didn’t have came swooping in to save her mom’s life with her bone marrow, and then they all lived happily ever after.

I think the fuck not. Basically, nothing has changed with them. They were all about themselves. And yet, why did the guilt slowly sink in?

I sighed as I focused on my food as well as the podcast for later. Things at work weren’t going so great, and not just me having to be ‘more’.

“We have one more caller for tonight’s session.” I nodded to Claire as I checked my watch, beyond grateful we would be done soon. I looked at the sheet Claire held up giving the caller’s name.

“Hey, Macy, thanks for joining us tonight for Perrie’s Point. What was your take regarding tonight’s podcast?”

“Hi, Perrie, thanks for taking my call. I just had a question when it comes to dating but not really dating.”

I banged my head against the table and hoped they didn’t hear me. Before Macy even started her questions, I interrupted her. “Unfortunately, Macy, tonight’s podcast was on the Butterbox Babies. You know the hundreds of babies murdered or illegally adopted from the late twenties to late forties. By any chance did you have a question and/or thought on that?”

It was silent. Claire looked at me and shrugged. I looked at her and shrugged. Macy finally answered, “Well kind of.”

She was lying. Most of them did. I sighed before telling her to go ahead with her question that had absolutely nothing to do with tonight’s topic.

I ended the night having to thank our sponsor yet once again, even though I loathed them.

“Great show again tonight, girls.” I quickly covered myself the moment Frank came in.

“Why do we have to wear the sponsor’s clothes, especially since no one actually sees us?”

Frank sighed as if my asking the same question for the thousandth time was frustrating to him. It’s not my fault he’s not used to me asking the same question every night. “We’ve gone over this, Perrie. They supply the outfits, you wear them. You tell your listeners how amazing it feels to wear them, and they give us money. They’re the reason you get that extra few hundred dollars. Do you want to be grateful or find another job?” I slumped back down in my chair. I was this close to telling him I would find another job where I didn’t have to wear a negligee or lingerie while doing a podcast. “Besides, when you wear them, your answers are more confident, making you sound sexy.” He winked at me, which was disgusting in itself as he left. I looked to Claire who only shrugged.

“I listened to tonight’s podcast.”

I looked up at Gwen, just as she placed my order in front of me, jarring me from my thoughts.

I cringed inside, something I always did before someone gave me feedback, whether it was good or bad. “How was it?”

“I loved it! Definitely do more murder mysteries.”

“Thanks, Gwen. Working there can get a bit odd, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be there.”

She frowned as she thought for a moment. “Well if you need anything or another job, you’re always welcome here, and if you need someone taken care of, Hawkins, my husband, can help you with that.” She laughed as she walked away. The weird thing was, I honestly don’t think she was actually kidding in regard to her husband.

I finally leaned back to relax. I looked up and scowled at the couple practically eating each other’s faces. I rolled my eyes as I focused on my work. Sometime later, my thoughts were interrupted. “I know you.” I slowly raised my head as the girl that was just making out stood above me smiling. I looked behind me in case she was talking to someone else, knowing damn well there was a brick wall behind me.

“Sorry, I don’t think you do.” I went back to my notes and she pulled out the empty chair that was in front of me and sat. The hell? Did this woman really think we were long-lost friends or something?

“At your apartment,” she continued. “You walked in and my boyfriend and I were—”

“Oh!” I cut her off, looking around me to make sure no one heard. “Oh, okay, yeah. Um, I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t get a good look at your... face.”

She laughed as she shrugged. “It’s okay, it’s a natural thing.”

“To have sex at a random person’s house while someone watches?”

“Okay, I guess not totally natural, but sex is natural. Besides, we’ve been seeing Ash for almost a year now. He’s one of the best if not the best.”

Now