Rose Bridges

Thirteen

Carmen

"Well there is still so much I have to learn. Except since my mother is a lawyer that helps me tremendously because she tells me the right things to study," I tell Romero as we walk up the front steps of my house.

"Does she tell you about the cases she works with?" he questions.

My stomach churns.

Damn you're snoopy-ness Carmen.

"She doesn't tell me everything since she can't do that, but she'll ask me to help her with some paper work sometimes." I'm going to throw up.

I grab the keys out my purse and begin opening the door. "What's the craziest case she's worked on?" Romero asks as he towers next to me.

I blow out a breath. "Hm. Some have been absolutely wild from the papers I've snooped around in, but I guess one of them would be this one famous case a while back. Her and this team of lawyers had to make a case for a girl who killed her entire family." That's the case is probably the reason my mother won so much respect in the court room, because she won.

And how she now makes the amount of money she does.

He doesn't take his eyes off me as I push the door open. The wheels in his brain look like their spinning. "I think I heard about that on the news. What happened with that?"

He follows me inside and I close the door behind him.

I dart my tongue out to lick my lips and I stare up at him, thinking.

His eyes glance all around my face and his tall frame towers over me.

I glance from side to side as if anyone is gonna listen, then lean in a bit closer. "I'm going to go shower and then I shall spill all the details to you."

His cocks his head to the side. "What are we gonna have a tea party or some shit?"

The corner of my lip ticks up. "What a fabulous idea." I walk past him and beckon him with my hand. "You can be harassed by Teddy while I shower."

I never asked if he wanted to go home.

I should've. It would've been the respectful thing to do.

Except I don't really want our time together to end.

I should feel guilty.

Except instead a tiny grin pulls at my lips at the sound of his feet following me up the stairs.

Romero

We goin back to the club today, Tony wants you there.

I suck in a breath as I stare at the text.

Teddy lays on his back as I scratch his stomach.

My fingers are slightly shaky as I type back.

Nah. Can't.

He responds immediately.

Why the fuck not? You got more important shit to do or something?

My tongue darts out to lick my dry lips.

I swallow down the urge to ask how much I'd get paid.

My eyes lift from the screen and glance around the girly room, then to the bathroom door where Carmen is showering on the other side. Light seeps out the sides of the door.

I shut my phone off and place it down on the door.

Sighing, I lean my head back against the bed as I sit on the floor next to it, shutting my eyes for a moment.