Revealing Annie - Freya Barker Page 0,14

did it, didn’t stay around to see what happened. Few of the boys and I had a look around after the yoga chick took her home.”

“Do me a favor, call me if you find anything else?”

“She mean something to you?”

I barely know her, but fuck if I wouldn’t like to. Especially after I’ve seen how she cares about an elderly neighbor. Whatever is going on in her life, my gut tells me she’s worth getting to know.

“A friend,” I finally decide on.

It can’t have been too convincing since it makes Brick chuckle.

“Right. I’ll give you a ring,” he says, ending the call.

It’s eight forty-five, normally after a shift, I’ll come home, shower, have an hour nap or so, and then pretend it’s a normal day so I can sleep at night. This morning I’m too restless knowing Brick might call back. I put on a pot of coffee and head upstairs to take a quick shower while it brews.

Five minutes later, in my gray sweats and old Santa Fe College T-shirt, I sit down on the couch with my coffee in hand, and prop my bare feet on the table. I flick the TV on to watch some sports reruns.

Some time later, I wake up when I hear my phone ring. I check the display but don’t recognize the number. My first thought is it’s Annie.

“Hello?”

“Kyle? It’s Chanel.”

I get to my feet and shake my head to clear it. I’m still half drowsy and I could swear she said Chanel.

“Who is this?”

“Chanel. Look, I need your help.”

My head is crystal clear now and all the anger I’ve pushed down since she scammed me last year surges back to the surface.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I grind out between clenched teeth.

“Please, hear me out,” she pleads, but I can’t hold back on my anger.

“Why the fuck would I listen to you? You fucking scammed me out of fifty grand. Caught me off guard once, Chanel, but it won’t happen again. I’m not gonna listen to your goddamn lies again.”

I’m about to hang up when I hear her say, “Bryce has nowhere else to go.”

That gives me pause and I sit back down on the couch, the phone still to my ear.

Sonofabitch.

6

Annie

“Let’s go, Blossom. That’s enough of a rest.”

The pug lifts her head, and looks at me with clear disdain, before she hoists her ample backside up and slowly follows me back to the trailer.

I finally coaxed her to the bench tonight, but after our short break in the riverside park, she isn’t eager to get back on her feet.

It’s been two days since Edward was taken to the hospital. He’s doing much better after they managed to place a stent, improving the blood flow to his heart. They’re keeping him a few more days to make sure his new medications are balanced right before they send him home. After that it’ll be up to him, making sure he keeps track of his medication and eating better, which is something Mrs. Sokoloff and I have already talked about. No more Hungry-Man Salisbury Steak or pizza for Edward.

The hospital stay hasn’t exactly improved his mood, as I’ve discovered on my visits. Especially when I told him this afternoon we’d cleared his fridge and freezer of the things he shouldn’t be eating anymore and filled it with healthier options. He didn’t like that much. Luckily he didn’t seem to mind I’d borrowed his wheels, since my car won’t be ready for another few days. Good thing too, because I’m working tomorrow. Mrs. Sokoloff volunteered to keep Blossom at her house, as long as I’d take her for walks and clean her poop from the yard.

“Come on, girl,” I coax the dog, who slows down even further the closer we get to home. “Hurry it up, your bed is waiting for you.”

It’s already after eight when I walk into my place after dropping Blossom off. With my alarm going off at three, it’s almost bedtime for me too. I lock the door, drop my keys on the counter, and put on the kettle for some tea before I turn in. It’s this Sleepytime tea I’ve been drinking for years now to help me settle for the night. Not sure if it’s the tea, but the routine of my nightly cuppa does help me fall asleep. That, and an episode of The Crown on Netflix on my laptop.

While I wait for the water to boil, I tidy up my dinner dishes and wipe the