SOUL TIES (The Sánchez Brothers Series, Book 1)

CHAPTER 11 : DEBBIE

I smeared a slice of white bread with chipotle mayonnaise and slapped that slice on the pile in the plate.

"Finally." I mumbled under my breath as I put the last sandwich in the fridge. The midnight mark on the clock chimed a couple minutes ago and I was tired. I still had to go to work that morning but I couldn't not make the breakfast Kayla and Nelly would eat later, as well as their dinner. For the hundredth time, I asked why I was putting myself through that amount of stress and an exhausted sigh fell out of my lips, I knew the exact reason why.

I was avoiding that talk with Nelly.

Since Monday night, I'd resorted to cooking by 11pm. That way, I could leave the house before she came by. When I got back home from work, they'd be eating the meal I'd already prepared the night before and I'd just breeze in, mutter greetings, peck Mikayla's forehead and retire to bed. I always made sure to avoid Nelly's eyes whilst doing those things, I couldn't bear to see the questions in them.

I retired to bed and woke up a couple hours later to prepare for work. For most people, Friday was the highlight of their week. To me, it was anticlimactic and that was probably because I didn't look forward to the weekends. I quickly did all I needed to and gave my still sleeping daughter a quick kiss before heading to the fridge to take one last look at the sandwiches for their breakfast. Nodding in satisfaction, I glanced at the wall clock before going outside. 6:25am. Nelly usually arrived around 7am so I was still right on time.

You can't run forever.

My subconscious reminded me as I drove on the highway en route WeCare Inc. Of course I couldn't, but I would run for as long as I could. I wasn't so sure why I was so terrified about talking with Nelly. Maybe it was because I couldn't put up a façade with her, she'd see right through me. Thoughts of the short Hispanic woman occupied my mind till I got to the parking lot of my office building. Taking a deep breath, I offered a quick prayer before stepping out of my car and into the tall building.

Everything was pretty mundane, up until Madison knocked on my door. I prepped my mind for her issues and grimaced slightly as she strutted towards my desk.

"Won't you offer me a seat?"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Offering you a seat means I'm encouraging your stories. Why would I want to do that?" She cackled and pulled out the chair in front of my desk. Her eyes took a quick tour around my office in a split second before they landed on me. "What do you want, Madison?"

My curt tone must had been amusing to her, because she tittered a little before responding. "Are you in the mood now?"

I didn't always appreciate Madison's flair for drama. "What are you talking about?"

"You said you weren't in the mood for my story on Monday. So I decided to wait till the end of the week and now it's Friday. Are you in the mood now?"

"I'd never, ever-." Her boisterous laughter interrupted me for a second. "Ever, ever be in the mood for your stories but you don't give me so much of a choice, do you?"

She shook her head amidst her laughter. "Never." I voiced my displeasure with a grunt that only made her laugh harder. "Anyways, guess what."

I rubbed my face in agitation. "Please, just get out." Her laughter fizzled out when she spotted my unamused disposition. She always knew when I was edging towards my limit.

"Alright, alright, alright." She lifted her hands in a surrender gesture. "You're no fun sometimes." I ignored her childish pout and she rolled her eyes in repressed humor. "Anyways, he's single."

My right brow lifted in question. "Who is single?"

"The new boss."

Ohhh, Andre. What use did I have for that piece of information though? "Okay?"