Page 37 of Tame Me

“Perfect. Okay. Can I get the app login reactivated so I can check it there going forward?” I ask.

“Yes, ma’am,” she says. “Okay, your old login should be active again. If you have to change your password, you can do so by following the prompts as normal.”

“Okay, thank you,” I say. When I get off the call, I log into my banking app and see the same numbers she just gave me. “What the fuck…”

Okay, so maybe I don’t have to get a job right away. I can focus on getting this house ready to sell, and then go from there. If I’m smart with my money, maybe I won’t have to get a job.

I need to go to the store and get cleaning supplies, but also food. I decide to abandon the pile of mail and grab my bag. When I open the front door, I shriek and jump back when there is someone with their hand raised, about to knock on the door.

“Oh, shit. Sorry,” he laughs.

“Fuck, Giovanni,” I pant, holding my chest. Giovanni Davis was my neighbor growing up and my best friend. We tried to keep in contact when I went to college, but school was so demanding that I just couldn’t keep up. I feel like a royal bitch for ghosting him, especially because he has no idea why I did it.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw someone was here, so I wanted to see who. When did you get back?”

“Today,” I say. “I’ve been… away.”

“Yeah, you sure have,” he chuckles. “Were you about to leave?”

“Uh, yeah. I can hold off. How are you? Come in.”

Giovanni steps in and looks around, obviously stunned. “Wow,” he says.

“Yeah. I was about to go to the store to get some cleaning supplies. The house needs a lot of work before I can sell it,” I explain. “You still live with your folks?”

“No, Mom died about two years ago, and Dad passed a month ago,” he explains.

“Oh my God, Gio. I am so sorry,” I say. “Fuck, that’s so sad.”

“Yeah, Dad basically grieved himself to death. I think that was the worst part, but… I’m sorry about your Dad.”

“I’m not,” I say with a shrug. “Look… I disappeared on you and never gave you or anyone an explanation.”

“You don’t owe me one, Ayla,” he says gently.

“No, I do,” I say. “Dad beat me my entire childhood and was raping me from the time I was thirteen. When I saw an out, I took it and ran.”

“Goddamn. I knew that fucker was hurting you, but that…”

“Yeah… He called me by Mom’s name,” I say. “So uh… Wow, I haven’t explained any of this before. I just kinda trauma dumped on you.”

“Well, you don’t have to, Ayla, and it’s okay. I’m just glad you’re back, even if only temporarily,” he says with a sweet smile.

“Are you busy?” I ask.

“Busy talking to you,” he says with his signature cheesy smile. “What’s up?”

“Wanna come to the store with me? I just need to grab some stuff and…”

“And I would love to,” he says. “Let’s do it.”

“Okay,” I say, smiling. We walk out of the house, and I lock the front door before we go to my car. I get in, and he opens the passenger seat. “Oh, shit. I’ll move that.”

“Still a clutter-bug, I see,” he jokes as I move my bag to the backseat. He picks the discharge paperwork up from the passenger seat as he sits, and I immediately try to snatch it away, but it’s too late. He’s seen it.

“Giovanni…”

“Didn’t think you were kinky, Ayla. Is this where you’ve been?” he asks with a grin, handing me the papers. I set them in the backseat with a sigh before looking at him. “Go ahead. Do that word vomit thing you do.”