Free Hearts Collide (Canyon Cove Book 4) by Liliana Rhodes Page B

and then tapped it out against the concrete wall.
    I didn’t say anything to him. I kept my eyes on the door and pretended he didn’t exist.
    “Jackie, come on,” he said as I reached the door. “You know that’s me. I’m sorry.”
    “Sorry?” I said. “Did you learn a new word?”
    I put my key in the door and unlocked it, but I didn’t enter. I knew he would follow me in.
    “I’m trying to apologize to you,” he said. “I saw that car and just lost it. I don’t know why, maybe I was jealous, but I know I have no right to be.”
    “That’s right, you don’t.”
    “You’ve been nothing but nice to me,” he said. “I know you have no reason to let me stay with you and yet every time I’m in a jam, I can always count on you to help me out.”
    I shrugged, trying to keep my anger, but listening to him made it slowly evaporate.
    “It’s what I do,” I said.
    “I know! That’s what’s so great about you. Whenever anyone needs help, you’re right there to help them out. I remember that girl you worked with who was booted from her apartment. You found out at work that she was sleeping in her car and you let her stay on your couch for a couple of nights. You barely knew her.”
    “She was sleeping in the grocery store parking lot. I couldn’t let her do that,” I said.
    “Or what about that woman with the seven kids that one year around Christmas. You barely earn enough to make ends meet, but you gave her money to buy a tree and presents for her children so they could have a Christmas.”
    I looked down at the floor. I hated talking about this stuff. I knew they were great things that I did, I knew people didn’t usually help others, but I couldn’t do that.
    “You do all these things for people and never expect anything back,” he said. “And after all that paying it forward, that billionaire buys you the car you’ve been drooling over for years,” he said.
    I shrugged and turned the doorknob, keeping my back to the door.
    “I really don’t want to talk about this,” I said quietly.
    “And that’s another thing,” he said. “You do all these things and never expect anything in return. I’ve probably taken advantage of that and I shouldn’t have. You are a much better person than I will ever be.”
    I couldn’t stand there listening to him go on and on about me. I didn’t want to hear it. I pushed the door open and entered my apartment. Dennis came in behind me.
    “I know you don’t want me around,” he said. “I know I cause more trouble than I’m worth and I’m not easy to deal with. I haven’t said anything to you, but I’m going through a tough time right now. I got RIF’d last week.”
    “You were fired?”
    “They downsized and I was one of the ones they let go with severance. I knew it was coming,” he said. “I’ve been lucky you’ve been so nice about letting me stay here for so long, but I know I overstayed my welcome. If you could just give me a couple a days, I promise I’ll be out of here and in a new place.”
    My lips twitched with all the words I kept to myself instead of saying to Dennis. Our relationship always had a lopsidedness that benefited him. He was egotistical, conniving, and didn't care about anyone but himself, but I never held that against him.
    I made excuses for Dennis’s behavior. I made excuses for most people. I believed Dennis was just how he was and there was no changing or fixing his behavior, that was just him.
    The way I thought made it hard to stay angry at him. It was like being angry at a puppy who peed on the rug. It was pointless because the puppy didn’t know any better. That’s what I thought of Dennis. And that’s why I always helped him.
    I looked over at the couch and thought about my schedule for the next two days. I had to work both those nights and I needed to work on a paper for class. I probably wouldn’t even be home anyway.
    “Fine, you can stay,” I said. “But only for two days. If you don’t have an