“Now that shit is karma, a Quantico girl,” Abel smacked his hand off his knee. “Ooh, dear brother, you’re gonna need a good plan, but that is shit for another day. You wanna go play?”

“I’ll meet you at your place. I just want to finish cleaning up and have a shower.”

Abel spun in a circle and put the broom by the door before meandering with a strange shuffle step toward his car. “Don’t be too long, brother or all the fun will be over before you arrive.” He opened the car door and stopped before getting in. “See, that is how you properly share,” he said, giving me a grin.

I really should’ve smothered him as a child.

KIRBY

“Ahhhh,” the kid screamed from behind me. His voice was so high-pitched I cringed, and I was pretty sure the dogs on the next road over heard him. “I want to go home!”

I glanced back at the mother, who looked like she’d been through a war zone. I tried to help by offering her my best reassuring smile as she tried to calm her son, who was in the middle of a temper tantrum.

I turned my attention back to the store owner behind the counter. Why was finding a simple job so difficult? I’d decided to stay and work hard at my studies, but I needed to make enough money to buy anything I wanted apart from school. One more thing for my mother to bitch about, but it would help me feel less trapped.

“Look, I’m sorry. I’d love to hire you, but I don’t have enough work right now,” she said. “But I do know that the fancy café down the street, Mode, is looking for help, one of their baristas left or something.”

I gave her a smile. “Thank you. I’ll go check them out.”

Pushing my way out of the door of the baby clothes store, I decided it was for the best. I had no idea how people put up with that wailing. I guess it was different when it was your baby, but I’d never had the urge to have kids like other women.

I knew which café she was talking about—it was Peter’s favorite. They imported beans from all over the world and ground them in-house, but a single cup of coffee could set you back fifteen dollars. Much to Peter’s chagrin, I was happy with a can of instant, so I’d never understood the need to come here. However, I would make an exception if they paid me money to be here.