The Badass Saved Everyone's Ass

Chapter 22: "You got mail."

Mom, Nana, Charley, Megan, Scout's Mom and Scout and I went on a girls day and got our nails and toes and hair done. I got mine trimmed, and it's been two weeks. I haven't heard from Ross again.

"Zoey." Papa says when I walk in the door. "You got mail."

"I did?" I ask. "Where? Where is it?" I ask hopefully. I ignore the grins and looks exchanged.

"It's on the table in the-"

I rush past him to the kitchen table and snatch the letter up.

I groan loudly in annoyance. "It's a fucking bill." I grumble. I pay it online, and then I go to my room.

"Before you go pout," Papa begins. "You ight want this." He reaches behind the couch pillow and produces another letter.

I gasp and snatch it from his hand. I recognize Ross's handwriting and go running to my room, giggling.

God, I'm such a girl.

I flop down on my pink comforter and rip the letter open.

Zoey,

I wrote this letter so many times, because I didn't know what to say. I've decided to say that I'm going to do everything I can to change your mind. I'll tell you everything about me, okay? For instance, I love violin. I don't like rap or metal, but I like soft stuff, like country, or pop, or stuff like that. (I'm talking about music by the way.) I like rock too. I love Chris Young. I love your eyes, and I love your hair, and your smile and your voice and your laugh and I really, just love you. I'm not going to try to buy your love, but you are a girl, so I will buy you things. I think you're beautiful, and I love that I make you blush. You're so beautiful, Zoey. I don't like coffee unless it is homemade and it has French Vanilla creamer. I grew up in Sydney but I moved here with my brother, Tyler, my sister, Kaya, and my parents. Kaya is my twin, we're twenty one. My brother is seventeen. I know everything about you already because you're all over google. I know you lived in Australia from age 0-5. I know that your Dad is an ass and he raped you and you killed him. I know you were an assassin, but that doesn't bother me. As I said in the store, you kill for the good of the world. You take out the bad guys and make the world a better place. I LOVE cookies with M&M's, and I think you're the most beautiful person in the entire world. Now you have to tell me about you. It's only fair.

Love,

Ross Ethan Carter.

P.S. I'm not a virgin...

I have butterflies.

I get out paper and a pen, a pink one, and I start writing.

Ross,

I LOVE M&M COOKIES SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, that got me really excited. Let's see...something about me. I like fall. That's my favorite season because everything is so pretty. Our music taste is the exact same. I really like Taylor Swift. My favorite cartoon character is Tweety. I like milk, and I normally only like coffee that is homemade but I don't like the Keurig machines. I like a pot of coffee. I like French vanilla but I can deal without it, but I need to have a creamer of sorts. I love your eyes, and I like how your hair is messy, but it suits you. I have a little sister Megan, and I have my Mom, and my cousin, Charley. I call her Charles even though it drives her crazy because I've been calling her that since I was five. I have my Nana and Papa and Aunt Jackie, who has been busy with my cousin Ian lately. That's all the family I have left. I think you are the most handsome person in the entire world. I was thinking about us exchanging phone numbers so I can hear your voice, but I think I like it being in letter form.

Miss you,

Zoey Ann Vagner

P.S. I'm not a virgin either.

I seal the envelope and lock the second letter in my drawer and put the information on the letter and go flying out of the house, down the driveway to the mailbox.

I go bolting back into the house and to my room, closing my door and flinging myself on my bed with a giant grin on my face.

__________

I stayed in my room till dinner.

"Did he say something to upset you?" Mom asks. We eat dinner at the table.

"No!" I blurt, outraged. My cheeks start flaming. Dillon snickers. I shoot him a glare.

"You love him, Zoey." Nana says.

"I don't!"

"You've never acted this way before, not even with Axel."

I wrinkle my nose at the mention of my prick ex and stab my salad. "I don't love him." I say.

"Okay." Mom laughs.