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And maybe Charlie would be right. Maybe they’d all come around.
Chapter One
Present day
Jess sat at the small kitchen table, the surface covered in papers. She ignored her half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich, the plate perched atop her stack of bills. The laptop beside her was moving too slow to get anything done. Even if it was ten years old, she had to make it work; there was never enough money left over for a new one.
She tossed a stack of receipts to the table and placed her face in her hands. The headache she woke up with lingered, but if she didn’t get ready in the next five minutes, she was going to be late for work.
The springs of the mattress upstairs squeaked as Charlie got out of bed. She listened to his movements as he splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth, then made his way down the narrow staircase.
He paused at the table, taking in the mess. “Grilled cheese? For breakfast?”
“We don’t have anything else,” she snipped. “No cereal, and we ran out of eggs and milk yesterday.”
“Aren’t you at the grocery store every day? Can’t you pick some up?”
She tossed her pen to the table, looking up at him. “With what money, Charlie? I have to pay rent in two days and it’s going to suck everything out of my account.”
Charlie brushed a hand on Jess’s back. She flinched. It was the first time he’d touched her in a week, and it felt strange. He traced small circles below her neck.
“I can pay it this month,” he said. “Rent, I got it.”
She looked up at him and frowned. “All of it?”
“Yes, all of it,” he answered, brushing his thumb across the crease in her forehead. “No need to stress, Jessie.”
“I’m always stressed, Charlie.”
“Why? Because of money?”
“Yes, because of money,” she replied, crossing her arms. “Something I never seem to have enough of.”
“You don’t need money to be happy,” he grumbled.
“But you need it to survive, Charlie.” She lifted her plate. “Grilled cheese. For breakfast.”
“Okay, okay, I get it.” He backed away from her into the kitchen. “Grab some groceries today, all right?”
She scowled. “You promise?”
“Promise what?”
Jess pinched the bridge of her nose, slamming her eyes shut. “Rent, Charlie.”
“Oh, right,” he said, opening up the practically empty fridge, like food might miraculously appear. “Yes, I promise.”
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Shit. She ran up the stairs as she answered the phone, wedging it between her shoulder and ear, reaching for her uniform that was hanging dry. “Yes?”
“Jess, hey,” Calvin said on the other line. “I’m going to need a favor. Are you free tonight?”
“Depends on what the favor is.”
“Night shift,” he answered. “No cake orders today, but—”
“I’m in,” she said. “Six?”
