Let Me Love You

LET ME LOVE YOU KELSIE RAE CONTENTS 1. Mia 2. Colt 3. Blakely 4. Kate 5. Blakely 6. Mia 7. Ashlyn 8. Kate 9. Ashlyn 10. Theo 11. Ashlyn 12. Mia 13. Kate 14. Blakely 15. Colt 16. Ashlyn 17. Colt 18. Colt 19. Macklin 20. Mia 21. Ashlyn 22. Blakely 23. Ashlyn 24. Theo 25. Ashlyn 26. Theo 27. Mia 28. Ashlyn 29. Kate 30. Blakely 31. Ashlyn 32. Ashlyn 33. Colt 34. Blakely 35. Ashlyn 36. Ashlyn 37. Colt Colt and Ashlyn’s Family Tree Theo and Blakely’s Family Tree Macklin and Kate’s Family Tree Henry and Mia’s Family Tree Epilogue Also by Kelsie Rae Dear Reader About the Author Let Me Love You Cover Art by Cover My Wagon Dragon Art Editing by Wickedcoolflight Editing Services Proofreading by Stephanie Taylor Published by Twisty Pines Publishing, LLC May 2023 Edition Published in the United States of America Copyright © 2022 by Kelsie Rae All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. 1 MIA “Well, I did it,” I tell the girls, slapping my purse onto the kitchen counter. “I talked to Gertie.” Gertie is our landlord. She’s also a thousand years old and has the personality of bad sushi, but the lady did give in and agreed I could stay in our place until the end of the summer. And even though I hate handouts more than almost anything in the world, I’m grateful. Because it means I have eighty-two more days before I need to find somewhere else to live. Eighty-two more days of almost affordable rent and free utilities. And after that? Well. I’ll get there when I get there…if I don’t starve to death first. Okay, I’m being a little dramatic. It’s not like I’m actually going to starve. Bartending earns me a decent amount of tips most days. But I can’t help it. Not when I just hung up the phone with my last potential employer, who informed me they hired someone else for the nursing position. Yay, me. “What’d Gertie say?” Ash asks as she fills the dishwasher with dirty utensils. “She said I had until the end of the summer, then I need to find a new place,” I tell her. “I still think it’s a stupid rule,” Blake interjects. Her bare feet are propped on the coffee table as she scrolls through her phone, only half-listening to our conversation. But I understand why she’s annoyed. This whole living situation is affecting her as much as it’s affecting me. “So what if you want to live here after graduation?” she continues. “What’s the big deal?” “No idea. But you know Gertie,” I mutter. “Regardless,” Ash says, “I’m proud of you for actually talking to her instead of avoiding the conversation like you had been.” “I wasn’t avoiding the conversation.” “Uh-huh. Sure.” So maybe I was avoiding the conversation, but it’s not my fault. I know the rules. I know Gertie only gives deals on rent to girls who are enrolled at LAU, and I knew as soon as I graduated a few weeks ago I wouldn’t qualify for said deals. But I also know my life is so up in the air right now if she kicks me out, I have nowhere to go. Nowhere. “Now, if I could get a job, that'd be great,” I announce, searching in the cabinets for a salty distraction. Chips. Yes. I want chips. “Oh, come on. You're gonna do awesome,” Ash tells me. “I'm sure last week's interview was great, and they're going to give you a call anytime.” “Yeah, they already called,” I reply, grabbing the almost empty barbecue chip bag from the cabinet and digging inside. “And before you ask, no. I most definitely did not get the job.” It's not the first time I've had to say those words. And I have a hunch it definitely won't be the last, either. For some reason I still do not understand, actually getting a job with my nursing degree seems impossible lately. Maybe it's like the old chicken and egg scenario. They want to hire someone with experience, yet I can't get said experience without a job where I gain it. However, as much as I want to believe this is the case, I have a hunch about what's behind all the rejections, but admitting it out loud is a bitch. I have a sinking feeling they've learned about my OnlyFans account and are hesitant to employ someone who could loosely be tied to the skin trade. I wasn't doing anything illegal, but as soon as I started posting explicit photos of myself, the lines blurred a little. I pop another chip into my mouth and lean against the kitchen counter. It doesn’t matter that I was safe and responsible and kept my face out of the photos. It doesn’t matter that I used a VPN and did everything in my power to keep my actual identity hidden. My ex, Shorty, just had to fuck me over. I still can't believe the asshole sent out all my information to the world when he found out I’d created an OnlyFans account. Then again, he always was a fan of screwing me over, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I let the thought settle into my bones as I set the bag of chips on the counter and grab a glass from the cabinet next to the fridge. With a flick of my wrist, I fill it with water from the tap and take a long drink. I am royally screwed if I can’t find a nursing job soon. But I guess we all have our own shit to deal with, don't we? Speaking of… I turn to Blakely lounging in the family room like she doesn’t have a