Phoenix Simpson [PUBLISHED]

2

Phoenix Simpson

Chapter 2

"Why the long face?" Landon flashed me a grin.

"Don't you ever get tired of chatting up girls?" I glanced at him dryly.

"Did you even look at her, Phoenix?" Landon chuckled as he put the shopping down. "She's too young for me. It wasn't like that at all."

"So that's not the girl who keyed my car?"

"They look nothing alike!" Landon cried in disbelief.

I looked to Coral for confirmation.

"Yeah, they really don't," she agreed with Landon. "That was Maisie we were just talking to. You should really learn some names."

"No need," I muttered. What would I need to retain that information for?

"Well, I'll remind you anyway," Landon decided. "Maisie lives next door, Number 24. Izzy lives on the other side. Izzy was the one who keyed your car and she's our age, twenty-two. Maisie is only seventeen. She's from the North. She doesn't look or sound anything like Izzy."

I had zoned out from the moment he started telling me their names, not that Landon paid much attention to that. He chatted on about another handful of neighbours, at which point I'd started opening the bags and taking out their contents.

"How was your day?" I asked Coral, who was also unpacking the shopping.

"Really?" Landon shook his head at me as I cut him off.

Coral chuckled, "I had a day off actually. Slept most of the day then went to run a couple of errands."

"And Walter's at boxing?" I pushed the cans of baked beans aside to make more room on the counter.

"Walter's asleep, I'm pretty sure," she answered.

"He's home?" I arched a brow.

"Mhm," she nodded. "He's been training a lot at this new club, so when he gets the chance to rest, I make sure he does."

"Make him rest?" Landon smirked, playing with his lip ring. "Wonder how you achieve that..."

"Stop it, Landon," she rolled her eyes, her cheeks warm.

"Yeah, stop that," I sent him a look before moving away.

"How was your day?" Coral asked me.

I sighed, not liking the reminder.

"Still searching," I mumbled.

"Ah," she nodded. "I'm guessing no luck?"

"No."

"Well," Landon interjected. "There are lots of jobs around, like delivery driving, things like that. He just doesn't fancy any of them."

"Most of them require qualifications I don't have," I snapped.

Leaving school so young didn't do me any favours when it came to finding a job. I couldn't have done it any other way though. The triplets weren't even ten years old yet when I had to take on the role of being their guardian, legally or not. There was no way I could have continued with school and taken care of everyone and everything at the same time.

Coral sensed the need for a topic change, and I was grateful when she did just that.

"So," she leaned against the counter. "I got a lot of general stuff we were low on, but I wasn't sure what we should have for dinner tonight. The choice is between roast chicken and pasta bake."