Free Shattered Edge by A. M. Hargrove Page A

never could’ve told you the answer. The only real thing I knew was I was scared. Because I was a head case chicken shit lame ass piece of crap for a man. Wait! I was no man. No man would ever do this.  And I just did it...to the girl who I had six months to win. Six months of a trial run before she would tell me to take a hike forever. Six months...and I had just messed up big time. 

 
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
     
    Terri
     
    The call ended and the phone sat in my hand, like some alien creature. The thing is, I was surprised the damn thing didn’t come alive and bite my nose off or something.
    What the hell had just happened? Why did I ask him that question? I didn’t even mean anything by it...it had just popped out of my big old stupid mouth. When would I ever learn to grow a freakin’ filter? Crap in a freakin' hat!
    I punched the pillow with my hand and plopped down with a puff. My belly was contorted up like a bunch of knots. Dad taught me to tie all these marine knots when I was young. He used to take me fishing on his boat. My stomach felt like that rope he used when he tied the boat off at the dock...all twisted around those cleats.
    There was no way I could sleep now so I threw off my covers and got out of bed. Shiz ! Why can’t someone invent one of those cool time machines you see in the movies, because I’d like to have one right now. I’d turn it back thirty minutes and shut my stupid trap. My imagination was on fast forward with all sorts of scenarios Justin was most likely thinking right now. There was no doubt he thought I was one of those clingy girls that had to have their guy constantly validating how important they were to him. Double shiz! There I went again. He was not my guy! I didn’t have sole claim to him or anything. We had not even gotten close to that point and I wasn’t ready for that. What the hell happened to our six month arrangement, for Christ’s sake? We were on, what, day four? And here I was calling him my guy! Get a grip Mitchell!
    My head, neck and back felt like a two ton elephant was laying on it. I rubbed the hell out of it and stretched it this way and that, trying to alleviate the ache that had just moved in. Grrr!
    I padded into my bathroom and hunted around for some Advil PM. Hooray! I found some and quickly popped a couple. Hopping back into bed, I hit the remote and hunted something really boring to watch. I knew this was going to be a long night.
     
    ********
     
    My alarm woke me and my face fell when I noticed the time. It was six thirty. Justin hadn’t called. I checked my phone, just to make sure, but no calls or texts had come in. The ache that was just an itty bitty thing last night, took root and started to grow now. It edged its way in and I tried really hard to push it out. Giving myself a big girl talk, I reasoned that I was the one who brought all this on. Me and my damned big mouth...pushing for some kind of answer from him.
    That ache that I swore to myself I didn’t ever want to feel again, had blossomed into a full grown throbbing pain. My hand was absently rubbing my chest before I even realized it.
    Knowing I was on limited time before I had to be at work, I took a brief shower and quickly got ready. Traffic was minimal and no one was there when I let myself in. I got the coffee going along with my to do folder for the day. Gearing up for two signed contracts, I gathered all my things together and got organized.
    Alana popped her head in and asked if I needed anything. I brought her up to date on my two impending contracts and told her I had another couple of showings that afternoon. She cocked her head and looked at me. “Are you okay Terri?”
    Looking up at her I cleared my throat and said, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
    “You look a little pale today. You sure?”
    “Yeah, I just didn’t sleep very well.”
    “Oh, okay. If you need anything, just let me know.”
    “Thanks Alana.”
    I pulled myself together and put my hand on my knotted