“Then make her go! Otherwise you’re going to have a mob at your doorstep trying to save the sweet innocent from the terrible beast.” Tina hangs up in obvious frustration while I toss the heavy metal file onto my work bench, equally unhappy. Why can’t I just be left alone? Is it any mystery why I stay away from people? I know I look like a monster.

“Am I interrupting something?” says Summer.

I tilt my head to see her bringing in a plate of food. “What time is it?” The phone screen says its nearly dinner. “Damn. I didn’t realize it was so late.” Terror strikes me. Have I missed more of her texts? Is she about to dump the food over my head instead of in the trash? I grab my phone but before I can flip it on, her hand covers mine.

“Don’t worry. I did text you, but I understand you’re not ignoring me.”

My shoulders slump in relief. “Yeah, I’m just wrapped up in this.”

She leans her hip against my desk and surveys the piece. It’s starting to take shape. “It looks like a woman,” she comments.

I take a bite of the roast beef sandwich and avoid eye contact. I don’t want her to inspect the piece too closely because it might give uncomfortable questions like why the proportions of the sculpture so perfectly match the woman next to me.

“A sexy woman,” she continues. “I’d kill to have that waist to hip ratio.”

I nearly drop the sandwich in surprise. “Do you own a mirror?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then you would know this is you. This is how you look. Like a fucking sex goddess,” I blurt out. “That hip to waist ratio is yours, not some made-up thing I found looking at pictures on the internet.”

It’s her turn to be shocked into silence. “Well,” she says after some time. Her cheeks turn pink and she finds her feet very interesting. I throw a cloth over the statue so Summer doesn’t feel awkward.

She clears her throat. “Let me know if you want anything else,” she says.

I grab her wrist. “You leaving?”

“I don’t want to interrupt.”

“You’re not.” I push away from my work table and draw her down on my lap, angling my scarred side away from her. She’s fine with it, but I prefer not to shove it in her face. Her hand comes up to stroke my cheek.

“I’m not being nosy, but you didn’t sound happy on the phone. Is there something I can do?”

I nuzzle her palm. “Yeah, rub your little ass against my dick.”

She gives off a small laugh. “There’s nothing little about my ass.”

“Seems the right size to me.” I rock her back and forth, enjoying the friction between us. I could probably come from just this contact alone. I lean back and continue the slow drag of her plump cheeks across my now rock hard cock.

“As much as this feels awesome, Colby is waiting for dinner.” Summer gives my face a farewell pat and hops off my lap. I let her go reluctantly.

When she reaches the door, she turns back. “I overheard some of your conversation with your sister.”

“Yeah?” I ask warily.

“Was it about the Chief?”

“Tina’s a worrywart. Don’t pay her any attention.”

“I can go in—"

“No,” I interrupt. “There’s no reason for that.” I don’t want to admit it, but there’s this low-level fear that runs through me at the thought of her leaving the estate grounds. It’s like I think she’s going to disappear or that this is just a dream and if she passes through the gates I’ll wake up and be alone. Irrational thoughts, I know, but I can’t shed this sense of unease that courses through me when there’s any talk of her leaving. “If we give in to him now, he’s going to be at the gate every time there’s a hiccup in our direction. We don’t want that, right?”

“I guess,” she replies, although she doesn’t sound convinced.

“Why?” I ask. Is she suddenly unhappy? Did she look at my scars again and decide that fucking me again would be too disgusting? Fear and self-loathing makes me strike out. “You anxious to take off or something? I’m not paying you enough?”

Her soft face turns hard. “Is that what I am to you? A service that you pay for? I hope you choke on that damn sandwich.” She storms out of the workshop, slamming the door hard behind her.

I drop my head into my hands. How did it go wrong so quick? One minute she was dry humping me and the next she was wishing for my death. But I deserve whatever punishment she wants to mete out. What was I thinking to suggest she was a prostitute? I suck at this romance shit. What do I know of love and tenderness? Perhaps the Chief should come and save the beauty from the beast.

24

Summer

“You want to ruin your dinner?” I ask Colby when I make it back to the kitchen. He lifts his head from his map that he’s still making. His little face wrinkles up in confusion. The past two days have been wonderful here. Some of the best of my life. I think I was making up a fairy tale up in my head. Playing house and thinking that Kale was my Prince Charming when I should have been doing my job and taking care of Colby.

“How do we ruin dinner?” He looks over at the roast beef I have out on the counter. “Do we push it off onto the ground? Because I’m kind of hungry.”

“With dessert. Let’s go to the diner and get dessert.”

“Yes!” Colby hops up from his chair. It will do him some good to get out of the house for a few hours. I hope it will do me some good too. Before I go back downstairs and throttle Kale. That man is so confusing.

I find my purse by the front door. Then I remember my car is at the diner. “Crap,” I mutter. My keys are in my purse. I open the front door poking my head out. I see my car is parked off to the side. Kale must have sent someone to get it like he said he would.

“Let’s go.” I shut the door behind us. It isn't until I’m halfway to the diner that I realize I’m being spiteful. First he said I couldn't work for him. He’d need to hire new people. That first morning we’d woken up together. I got scared he would want us to move out. That I’d have to find a new job and place to stay. I was thinking he wanted to date or something. Then he didn't want me to leave. So that theory went out the freaking window. See! Confusing.

“Are you and Kale fighting?” Colby asks.

“Yes,” I answer him not wanting to lie. “Sometimes adults fight.”

“But then you make up?”

“Generally.” Maybe I should have lied. I’m still shocked by what he said. I get that Kale has his moods. He’s been through a lot. When he told me what his father had done to him it broke my heart. Somehow I ended up being the one crying as he held me close and then I kissed the scars, wanting him to know they didn't bother me. Needing him to know that I wanted every single part of him.

I actually find his moods adorable. It’s endearing that with a few touches or words I can pull him right out of them. This time his mood was aimed right at me. Like I’d done something wrong. His words had sliced through me. I’d hoped he might be falling in love with me. Now I’m starting to think I’m just a pretty object for him to own.