The Heir Read Online Free Page A

love
it?"
    Her answer came in the form of two raised
eyebrows and a shrug.
    "Because I bet it’s not bed bug infested, no
cockroaches, no rats and no ants. Have you ever felt any of those
crawling on you?-I have" She shivered just remembering the feeling.
"I love it ‘cause the walls are a different color other than yellow
due to the smoke residue some previous renter left behind."
    "I love it because I bet if I walk on this
carpet barefoot" She proceeded to toe off her shoes "it will feel
nice, clean and soft. Not grimy, crusty and dirty" she took off her
socks and took a couple of steps around the room and sighed in
bliss "I was right."
    She went back to her socks and shoes and
crouched down to put them back on.
    Still crouching down she looked up at Riley
as she tied her shoes. "I love it because unless you people are
some sort of freaks I'm sure you won’t be keeping me up at until
the early dawn with your fighting or other extracurricular
activities. A clean bed and room is more than enough for me."
    Riley glared at her but Jessica didn't care.
She turned away, effectively dismissing him and went back to pick
up her back pack where she'd set it on the bed. She didn't see him
fist his hands or Lauren raise hers to stop Riley from speaking,
she just heard him turn around and walk out of the room.
    "I'm so-"
    Jessica turned to look at Lauren and cut her
off "No I'm sorry. Sorry for-" She waved her hand in the general
direction of where Riley had been standing "that and for my
unwillingness to talk right now."
    "It’s alright"
    "No it's not. But like I said earlier I just
want to be alone. I don't want to talk because I know me. I need
some space to get it all together. Please forgive me and give me
until tomorrow. Tomorrow we can start."
    "Alright, whatever you'd like." A new sense
of hope unfurled from within her and it showed in the smile she
bestowed on Jessica. "Will you be joining us for lunch and dinner?"
Jessica shook her head in response but that didn't deter Lauren,
she'd asked for the rest of day. If tomorrow they got to start all
over again then she could have it. "OK well...you know where the
kitchen is at. Is there anything else you need?"
    "Aspirin? I have this killer head ache; I
think it’s from exhaustion. After I call my mom-Layla- I'd like to
take some pain killers and sleep the rest of the day."
    "OK that's fine. I'll go get those for you."
She turned to walk away but Jessica stopped her.
    "Also, is it OK if I take a shower?"
    "Yeah of course, your bathroom is that one
right there" She pointed to one of the closed doors. "I just
stocked so there should be towels and other amenities in there.
When you get out the aspirin will be waiting for you on top of your
dresser."
    "Ok thanks" Jessica gave her a real genuine
smile.
    Lauren was walking out of the room when she
stopped at the door way. She placed her hand on the door and kept
facing the hallway. "Was it true?" She blurted out before she could
change her mind.
    Lauren told herself not to ask, tried to
reassure herself that they could talk tomorrow but the question was
eating her alive and she just had to know. Even so, she was afraid
of the answer and couldn't bring herself to turn around and face
her daughter.
    "What?"
    "What you said about your living
arrangements."
    "Oh that?" Jessica waved her hand as if it
were no big deal. "The bed bugs, rats, and roaches, just once" the
memory made her shiver again.
    "I'm so-"
    "Don’t be," Jessica sighed, the apologies
were getting old fast, and unfortunately she didn't think she could
forgive any time soon. "I'm going to take a shower."
    Jessica went into the bathroom and took her
backpack with her.
    Lauren stood there for a couple more seconds,
her head hanging; dejection beating at her door before walking
away.
    Half an hour later Jessica stepped out of the
bathroom, feeling clean and refreshed for the first time in days.
In the room she found the bottle of pain killers where she'd been
told they would