Ready or Not (The Love Game Book 4) by Elizabeth Hayley (pdf ebook reader .txt) 📕

of honor and spilled stuff everywhere. It’s okay. Honestly,” I said when she didn’t look like she was going to let me leave without paying me for the full night.

Finally conceding, Denise dropped her hand.

On my way out the door, I looked at Tione, who was still in tears. “Sorry you had a bad night.”

“Thanks,” she answered softly.

“And sorry about”—I motioned around the room—“dancing with your mom and stuff. You know, without any clothes on.”

“Just go.”

I nodded silently, knowing that anything else I said would only make the situation more awkward than it already was, and headed for the door. And as I sprinted to my car, wearing nothing but a G-string and an open shirt, I was thankful that at least it wasn’t winter.

T A Y L O R

Like every Monday since classes had begun, I’d spent the majority of my time watching lectures I would’ve otherwise been in class for and gathering research for presentations. While I was glad I could do all of it remotely, I didn’t realize how antsy I’d get sitting at a desk for most of the day. Though that was still preferable to looking over my shoulder when I walked around campus alone.

It felt good to go out for a run after a day cooped up in the house. I could stretch my legs, burn off the large iced latte I had earlier, and watch everyone going about their business in town before heading to my shift at Safe Haven. It was the first week of school for the kids, so my routine had already changed. But that also meant some new kids, which made me feel more comfortable since I was still new too.

As I jogged in place at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green, I looked around at the people nearby, most of whom were likely college students walking to or from class or grabbing a bite to eat at a café or coffeehouse.

Once I’d gone a few miles and had worked up a pretty big sweat, I headed back to my apartment to grab a shower and change before work. As I rounded the corner to my street, I saw the man who’d offered me twenty bucks my first night there.

He was leaning against the exterior of our building, his words coming out in puffs of smoke as he talked with another guy I’d seen around. He was younger, probably only a few years older than me, and looked gaunt in a way that made me wonder if he was on drugs or couldn’t afford food. I was an asshole to think that, but chances were good it was one or the other.

When the older man saw me running toward him, he threw down his cigarette. “You okay? Whatcha runnin’ from?”

“I’m fine. I just went for a jog,” I said, slowing to a walk as I approached my building.

“You’re fuckin’ nuts,” said the younger one. “Only people you see running around here are runnin’ from somethin’.”

“Not me,” I said with a tight smile. “I just needed the exercise.”

“You look good to me,” the younger man said, and as he looked me over, I wished I hadn’t elaborated.

His comment was creepy as hell, but he might just have meant it as an innocent compliment. At least that was what he’d probably claim if I said anything back to him about it.

I just went with a “See you later”—though I hoped I wouldn’t—before hauling ass inside and jogging quickly up the steps to my apartment.

When I arrived at work an hour and a half later, Ransom was waiting outside, a broad smile across his face as I headed toward him.

“Hey,” he said.

“What’s up? Did you come out here to greet me?” I asked, only half kidding.

“That’s exactly why I’m out here. That and I have to get the kids off the bus.”

“Why are you out front?”

“I feel like I’m having a flashback to like two seconds ago when I said why I was out here.”

“Shut up,” I said, smacking him playfully on the shoulder.

I could feel how solid he was—like his skin had been injected with some sort of substance that made it impossible for anyone to physically hurt him. I wondered what he looked like without his shirt on, but I tried to push the thought out of my head since there was no use imagining something that would most likely never happen. If I’d never seen him shirtless at the old apartment when there was a pool there, I doubted it would happen at an after-school program.

“There was a beehive hanging from one of the branches on that tree near the back parking lot. Roddie tried to knock it down because he swore it was vacant and thought the kids would freak out if they saw it.”

Roddie was a college student who’d been at the center for a year or so. He was a sweet guy, but he had about as much sense as some of the kids we worked with.

“I’m guessing it wasn’t vacant?”

Ransom shook his head and tried to suppress a smile as he took out his phone. He already had the video cued up, and when he pushed play, my hand immediately covered my mouth. It was cringeworthy. He split the hive in two, and a swarm of bees came flying out. Even though Ransom had filmed the video from pretty far away and the quality wasn’t great, I could still see the cloud of bees following Roddie as he ran toward the building. After that, the video got shaky before cutting out completely.

“Oh my God,” I said. “Is he okay? Did he get stung?”

Ransom nodded, still trying not to laugh. “Like all over. I feel bad for the guy, but it’s also his fault, and he’s not allergic or anything, so he’s fine. I mean, he went home to get some Benadryl, but he’ll be fine, I’m sure. Once the swelling goes down.” This time he couldn’t stop himself from laughing, and I