A Thousand Times Enough

⋆ Chapter 22 ⋆

XXII. • °

𝐓𝐖-𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭. 𝐁𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬.

I was woken up by my phone buzzing from beneath me. As I picked it up I was met by a number calling me. I didn't know who the number was but I felt like I had seen it before. Could it have been my dad?

No, this couldn't be him. He hadn't tried to reach back out to me since the last time that I had blocked his number. I stared at the number contemplating answering.

It could be important...if it was my dad by the first sound of the voice I would know it was him and could hang up.

I was running out of time with every ring so without thinking I answered the phone. I stayed silent for a moment before saying anything. The other person on the phone hadn't said a word it was completely silent.

"Hello?" I let out, at the sound of my voice, I saw Damon move around slightly.

I was still at Tessa's house, everyone had slept in her living room. The boys slept on the floor and me, Nadia, and Tessa slept on the couch.

"Yes, is this Josie...Carter?" A female voice spoke on the other line.

Before saying anything else I gently got up from the couch, I stepped over Silas making my way from the living room to Tessa's kitchen.

"This is she...can I help you?" I ask lowly trying to keep my voice down.

"Hi, this is Lisa," She paused and I heard her rustling around what sounded like papers. "I am your apartment manager and your dad is Milton Carter correct?"

I became nervous when she mentioned him, I stood there in the kitchen with wandering eyes scared to say anything. I was scared of what she was going to say.

"Josie are you there?..."

"Ye-yeah I'm here." I stuttered. "Yes...that's my dad is everything okay?"

"I would hope so," She sighed. "But the reason I am calling you Josie is because I have tried to be in contact with Milton for quite some time now about signing a new lease if you two were going to renew it. The problem is he hasn't returned any of my phone calls and I even had one of my maintenance guys go to your apartment which is...203 correct?"

"Yes..." I trailed.

"Okay, well he reported back to me that Milton was not there and has not been there." She paused. "Actually he said he doesn't recall anyone coming in or out of the apartment since he had been working in the building the past few weeks."

My heart began to speed up, "Are you sure he hadn't seen him?"

"No, he said he hadn't." She said blatantly. "Look, I need you to come down here and sign this lease or I'm afraid I'm going to have to order to have an eviction notice. I have been reaching out to him far too long."

"No, please don't I...I can't sign because I'm not 18. I'm only 17 my birthday is not until later this year I-"

"Oh...well..." She let out a deep breath into the phone sucking her teeth. "Listen, sweetie, without a signature I have to report it."

I felt my tears beginning to surface, and with that, my anxiety was starting to become in control. "Please, please...don't I-I-"

"Listen...I have to, or I lose my job. Look...just come down here and sign and I can at least have something on file until I get Milton's signature. You will be 18 soon and... I need something or else I can't let you guys continue to live there and not have any lease." She paused letting out a sigh. "Are you willing to do that? Maybe I can work something out?"