Damaged Beyond Repair by Kashmira Kamat (KittyKash) (best short books to read TXT) 📗

Claire looked watery eyes, on the verge of heavy waterfalls. "How long have you guys been together?"

I swallowed, "well, I met him a month ago, it's been two weeks since we....started dating. So technically, one and a half months."

"Rowan he..he actually...

"So you girls ready for some food? Didn't you say you were hungry, Claire?"

Claire almost flinched back, damnit! Wrong timing. Did he not find any other time to interrupt? I wanted to claw my hair out.

Claire dabbed her glass eyes with a tissue, that woman was one helluva emotional freak.

"Why are you crying?" Rowan asked innocently.

"Nothing." She dabbed some more, fixing the mascara she'd so brutally ruined, "something went in my eye."

Rowan looked at her suspiciously, "Right."

The thought of junk food was very appetizing so Claire and I dragged Rowan to the food court, but a stubborn man that he was, he dragged our reluctant butts to a sizzlers restaurant, which he promised served great Chicken sizzlers. The ambiance was quite peaceful, and since it was almost evening, the restaurant was almost empty. Rowan slid next to me, while Claire opposite me and Minnie towards Rowan's right in a high kid chair. Each one of us was served a large size sizzler platter, I watched the smoke go upward as I started to dig in, "Rowan, I can't eat so much."

He pushed a forkful of rice into his mouth, occasionally, turning that fork towards Minnie "You need to eat and if you don't, I'll use any means if necessary."

The wooden platter was full of hot French fries, rice, and chicken, no matter how hard my stomach had pangs or how loud it growled, there was no possible way I was going to be able to eat all of this.

I pleaded silently.

Claire, on the other hand, was oddly on silent mode. Rowan picked on it right away, "what's wrong Claire?"

"Promise me, you'll not get mad?"

He chewed on his rice a little too harshly not taking his eyes off the food; somehow he knew what was coming. "Spill."

Claire gave me a nervous look, "you see, Mom and dad are having everyone over for dinner next week, so you and Alana are invited."

I noticed Rowan's jaw tighten with the mention of his family, "so is that why you're here? To invite me on their behalf since you and I know well enough that Mr. and Mrs. Masters don't invite anyone who isn't family." He chuckled, "and last time I checked, I didn't exactly fit that bill."

"Rowan, don't be like that—they really want you to be there. In fact, Dwight said he's dying to see you."

Rowan shoved the fork on the plate with a clank, "I buying none of that."

Claire rubbed her temple, "look, I'm not forcing you to come, but it's the truth. Believe it or not, Mom cannot stop thinking about you. She can't wait to see Minnie."

"Exactly, it's her they want to meet—not me, and I can only imagine Mom playing Dwight and Dad together. Those people won't invite me even if their life depended on it."

Claire ignored the comment and went on, "Don't you think it would be exciting for you guys, y'know spending the night together, alone, far from the university and all?"

Well, Rowan can say No all he wanted but of course being a guy he was using his dick to think, "I don't know Claire, we'll see."

See what I mean?

Fantastic." Claire beamed right away, "just one day."

Rowan nodded and went back to having his dinner without a word.

My platter stood messy with some of the rice and a few vegetables on the side.

"You're such a kiddo." Rowan smiled as he jabbed the red pepper in my platter and popped it in his mouth.

By the time Rowan paid the bill, my stomach weighted like rocks or rather a sack of rice. I was sure to hurl upon the faces of the next set of people who might even spell the word 'Sizzler.' We dragged our asses out of the restaurant and settled on going for window shopping but Claire had different plans and did not seem the least bit content with the idea so we let her do her thing. Rowan wanted to check out the men's clothing.

Just as we were making our way into the clothing store, Minnie gave out an order, "Donut. I want a donut."

And like the obeying father that he was, he decided to put a pause on his shopping to fulfil his daughter's ceaseless demand.

"I'll go get it," I said, relief crossed his face as he shoved some bills into my hands.

I made my way towards the donut shop, it was a little cute shop amid the other snack and treat stores. The sober looking employee seemed to be sprinkling on the freshly made donuts behind the counter; he looked oddly familiar, though I couldn't remember where I'd seen him. He grinned at me when he saw me approach. Putting away the donuts for a display he turned to give his hundred percent attention to me.

"Can I have two chocolate donuts and two blueberry?"

"Sure." he pushed the donuts carefully in a carry box and grabbed another pink one added it to the box.

"I ordered for four." I reminded him.

"Well, this one's flavor of the week and it's complimentary." He winked at me.

"Pretty lady huh?" I read the donut tag.

"Yeah. Pretty lady for the pretty lady."

I wanted to write 'Cliché' with a black marker over his forehead.

"Thank you." I paid him the amount and turned to go.

"Wait." So I did.

"I've seen you somewhere." he leaned onto the counter. "You go to Carmel University, don't you?"

"How do you know?"

"I've seen you with Chez."

Right. His popularity meter was so high; people could wake up after a ten-year-old coma and still manage to get his name correct "you go to Carmel too?"

"No. I just attend the art program at your college during the afternoon."

"Oh." No wonder he seemed familiar looking.