Glitch (Next Level Book 1)

When my sister texted earlier saying she was already home, I closed up shop and gave everyone the rest of the evening off, then took my nephew home.

Beetle drops his bookbag and kicks off his shoes the instant he’s through the door. The house smells like spaghetti and garlic bread. My stomach rumbles because I haven’t had anything other than a granola bar since ten this morning. I find my sister in the kitchen by the stove.

“Thanks for dropping him off.” Erin taps her wooden spoon against the pot. “You wanna to stay for dinner?”

“Nah, I got some place to be.”

“Ohhhh a date?”

“You wish.” Erin’s always bugging me about my love life. Hers is just as lame. “He finished his homework already, and I signed the field trip forms and added it to the family calendar.” I turn to leave, eager to get to Ara.

“Glitch?” 

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

I flash her a big smile. Helping my sister take care of Beetle is an honor. His father bolted the minute he found out Erin was pregnant, and we’ve never seen him since. Such a piece of shit. If I can be a good role model for Beetle, I will. 

“I have off tomorrow, so he won’t have to come to the shop after school.”

That’s weird. “You got home early today and have off tomorrow? What gives?” Don’t say it. Don’t say it.

“I got let go.”

Shit. “I have some money stashed. If you need it—”

“No. It’s fine.” Erin waves me off. “I knew this was coming and have been preparing.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah. If I run into a pinch, I’ll let you know.”

“Promise?”

“Mmm hmm.” She will. We’re open and honest about everything.

And maybe losing this position is a good thing. Erin hated her job and only stayed because it paid the bills. I can’t count how many times I’ve encouraged her to look elsewhere. I get that not everyone can afford the luxury of finding a job they love, but no one should be stuck wasting away in a position they hate either. My sister’s been stuck for forever. First, taking care of me when our parents died, and then her son. I don’t envy single moms. Erin’s been one since she was a fucking kid.

“Beetle!” I holler.

He looks over from the couch. “Yeah?”

“Help your mom with the dishes tonight, okay?”

“Okay.”

Love you, Erin mouths at me.

“Love you too.”

I rush back to my car and double check Ara’s address on my phone. Her box of computer parts sits on my passenger seat, and I can’t help but feel bad about it. I’ve already ordered a brand-new system, which she won’t know about until I get it all together.

It takes me less than five minutes to reach her apartment. I can’t believe she lives this close to me and my family.

Set in a cluster, the apartment complex has one central parking lot with shitty lighting. I don’t like it. This is one of the oldest developments in the neighborhood and it needed work when I was a kid. Scanning the area, I spot a few boys kicking a ball in the grass as a woman talks on her cell, half-ass watching them. Two guys are over by their cars talking to each other. The bushes need trimming, and the sidewalk is uneven, and it makes me worry Ara would trip. I grab the box and head to building A. The lobby door is unlocked. I don’t like that either.

Why am I being so protective of a woman I barely know?

Doesn’t matter why. I just am, and that’s all there is to it.

I make it to the third floor fast. Her door is on the left.

Knock, knock.

I hold her box close to my ribs and run a hand through my hair to smooth it back.

The door swings open.

I lose my breath.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Fuck me sideways. Ara looks spectacular. For whatever reason, her earlier outfit has been replaced with a maxi dress. I only know that’s what they’re called because Erin has a closest full of them.

I hold the box up. “Rest in pieces.”

Ara laughs, and it vibrates down my spine. “Want to come in?”

What a loaded question that is. “Absolutely.”

She steps out of my way, ushering me inside. Her place is cute and cheery. Tiny and clean. It smells like oranges.

“So, what do I owe you?”

It takes me a second to understand what she just asked. “Nothing.”

“Come on, Glitch. Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” I set the box down and shove my hands in my pockets.

“You helped me out. And you delivered it to my house. I owe you something for your effort.”

I can think of a million ways she could repay me, and none of them include a dollar figure. “No, it’s fine. Really.”

“Glitch.” She regards me with an incredulous look that I’d love to kiss off her face. “Seriously. You have a business and I’m your customer. At least let me pay you for your time.”

“Dinner.” My time is all hers. And I’m not hurting for business.

“Excuse me?”

“I want to take you to dinner. That’s what I want as payment.” The rest of what I want can wait.

Her cheeks turn bright pink. “Okay.”

My smile goes a mile wide. “Where would you like to go?”

“You mean now?”

This date is long overdue, if I’m being honest. “Now sounds good to me. Unless…” I slowly close the gap between us, “you’ve eaten already.” The moment I say it, I know she has. Some people are easy to read and Ara’s definitely one of them.

“I had a late lunch.” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “But we can still go out. I can grab something light.”

“I don’t want you to eat light.” God help me, but even I catch how much my register drops as I talk to her. “I want you ravenous.”

Her pupils blow wide.

I love how responsive she is to me. It makes me want to say a million dirty things to her. I wonder what she’d do if I did?