Be Mine, King (The Crown Duet #1) - Chelsea McDonald Page 0,2

classes this week already. Unfortunately, I can’t turn down overtime at the bar - I need a roof over my head and food on my plate.

I kicked the door shut behind me causing it to slam rather loudly. By the time I reached the kitchen to drop off my bags, my boss had hung up on me. Oh well, good. Glad he finally got the picture.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket before setting about the kitchen to unpack my shopping. I was already running late, so I needed to move as fast as I could. I’d been expected to stop by my father’s house to drop off his medication… half an hour ago. It wasn’t an urgent matter but my father had a strict schedule he liked to keep to, and he hated to be kept waiting.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I groaned for what seemed like the umpteenth time that afternoon.

I didn’t have time for visitors right now.

I grabbed my father’s meds and my purse before making my way to the door. A quick glance through the peephole made my stomach turn and my shoulders sag. Mike, my landlord slash neighbor slash ex-boyfriend stood on the other side of the cheap wood.

Our relationship was a shit show, but in my defense, he wasn’t the landlord when I moved in. His brother was.

Not that I knew that at the time.

When things went south between us the logical thing to do would have been to move out, I only stayed because Mike had assured me that we were fine. Clearly the mistake was mine for believing the son of a bitch. So every now and then, whenever Mike fancied it, he gave me hell.

Today, I really didn’t have time to put up with his crap, so whatever copacetic relationship I had been pretending existed between us would be coming to a screeching halt.

When I first moved in, it hadn’t really been a choice. At the time, it was the cheapest place I could find that was within spitting distance of my part-time day-job at the local cafe. After picking up a second job I was caught between the decision to find a nicer, slightly more expensive apartment or to start working towards getting my business degree.

By choosing to better myself I also shot myself in the foot. The plan had always been to go to college after school, I knew I wanted to study business by the time I was sixteen too. It wasn’t until a few weeks before graduation, after receiving my first acceptance letter, that father told me I needed to pay for it myself. Maybe if I’d known earlier I could’ve applied for a scholarship but the chance of me actually getting accepted would have been low.

I regretted my choice almost every day. There was no way I was going to pass the business course I’d enrolled myself into - even if I was smart enough to pass it. It hadn’t been the work that I was struggling with, it was my attendance to the classes. Working two jobs, taking care of my father, maintaining a healthy social life and keeping up appearances at the local gym was an okay balance for me. Add in coursework and night classes, and everything went kaput.

Sooner or later, I’d have to stop kidding myself. But for the moment, I wanted to pretend for just a little bit longer.

The bright side was that maybe I’d be able to move after I crap out of my business course. I’d definitely be able to afford it. Night school was not cheap and that money could definitely have been useful elsewhere.

Until then, I had to stick to my fantasies. And face my ugly assed reality, the one that stood only feet away pounding away at the only thing that separated us. Sometimes it amazed me that our safety could solely rely on a piece of wood and a few home depot locks. No matter how many locks I put on my door I never felt any safer.

I opened the door. Sure enough, Mike was there, not-so-patiently waiting for my response.

“What’s up, Mike?” I tried to smile up at him despite my deep annoyance for the man.

Late at night, I sometimes wondered why none of my relationships had worked out. And then I think of Mike and remember that guys are creeps. Even the ones that seem normal.

When I first met Mike at the coffee shop, he was nice. And hot, or so I’d originally thought. That