I'll find what I need elsewhere. I don't condone her actions or being followed. I won't be manipulated. I know he's angry. He's going to leave. He's going to chew out Miss Black. I reach for his hand and hold onto his wrist. My voice sounds strained and quivers as I speak.
She doesn't know. Sean, I know what it looks like, but please believe me. I release him and take a small breath. I return to my seat. He works his jaw as he considers me. I want him to stay. I need him to stay. He's my last lifeline. Without him, without this job, I'm lost. My eyes dart away from his. The waiter tries to come over to take our order, but the look on Sean's face scares him away.
I wring my hands in my lap under the table. Nervously, I say, "I need this job. When I saw your profile, I wanted I haven't done this before, obviously, and - " "I have trouble believing that," he snaps. This encounter may not matter much to you, but it means everything to me.
I'm clutching them so tightly that my knuckles turn white. Sean's gaze lowers to my hands and lifts to my face, "Why? My mouth fills with sand and I can barely swallow. All's I can manage is, "Please. It dawns on me that this is what happened and I can't look at him. I release the death grip on my hands when he doesn't answer. Sean seems apathetic, leaning back in his chair as if he's dismissing me.
I take my purse in my hand, and heart pounding say, "I'm sorry. I won't trouble you again. Sean doesn't call my name. He doesn't stand and follow me out. He doesn't give me a second chance. The limo isn't here yet. I'm on my own. My heart shatters as I realize what this means. Miss Black won't give me another chance, and I don't want one. I try to keep the tears from spilling as I take the walk of shame across the room.
Stopping in front of the elevator, I press the button. I wait and take a shaky breath. When the doors open, an older couple slips out. They avert their eyes as is the custom when a stranger encounters a crying woman.
I look at the floor as I step inside. I lift my hand and press ONE. The doors start to slip shut. But just before they close, the door bangs against something dark that juts between them, a suited arm. The doors reopen and Sean is standing there.
His blue eyes are filled with questions. He steps into the elevator with me. The doors slip shut. When we start to move, he pulls the STOP and the elevator darkens.
Show menu Top novels. Historical Horror Humorous Mystery Romance. Home The Arrangement Chapter The room is spinning. I groan and cover my face with my hands, trying to make it stop. When I lay still, things settle. I look straight ahead. Mel is at the foot of my bed. I sweep my eyes across the room. Marty is next to me in a chair. My brain wakes up and shakes off. Panic is prodding it to function faster and piece things together. Frantic thoughts fly through my mind like an out of control kaleidoscope.
They admitted me? Anxiety rises up from deep inside me and vines into every crevice of my being. Everything I did to stay in college will be wiped out. I completely freak out. My heart is pounding as though someone is trying to kill me. My mouth and throat are so dry. My lips are bloody and cracked in the corners. I take it, grateful, and sip. I keep clearing my throat, trying to swallow. I nod and hand him back the cup. My hands shake. The dream has me spooked. I want to curl into a ball and cry.
Where is he? Marty looks down at me. His fingers stroke my forehead gently. They moved you up here last night. Mel and I got here right after they moved you. I heard they were working on a guy that was in a motorcycle accident when we came in through the ER. Mel snorts. They let me in after that and I brought Marty up. I think I scared that little blonde nurse you had last night. Do you hurt? You want more pain meds? I shake my head slowly.
Whatever they gave to me, made me feel weird. Why was I admitted? I have no insurance. Marty sits back in his chair. He presses his fingers together. They said you hit your head pretty hard. They ran a bunch of tests last night and are still waiting on some of the results. Gabe or Blade or whatever the hell his name is, is in the waiting room to see if you wake up. Who told her? I rub my fingers against my temples, squinting, trying to focus. The bead broke and she called you.
Her thug showed up two seconds later to skin your date, but I told him what happened. Black wants her investment back. I think about it for a moment, and then ask. I pull out the envelope and separate the note, the necklace, and some of the money. Before he can protest, Mel is in the hallway. I never realized how much he cares about me. Marty looks really worried. Take this. Give it to Black.
I took out enough to cover the fee from the other night. He looks down at it and back up at me. What about work? Or are you making other employment arrangements? I want to quit. Not now. God knows how much this is going to cost. Oh, holy hell. My head hurts. The answer is obvious. The problem came when I learned the gunners name was Marty. His hands trail down my arms as he stares at me. I feel sick. I was gonna come here and ask Constance for help, meanwhile she was trying to think of ways to get me chopped up and shipped away.
I trusted Black to give me a girl I could handle. I already know that. I did too much, and went too far. My brows scrunch together. How nice of you. This is not what I want to hear. Sean is being uncommonly kind, especially for him. Besides, you two are good for each other. It makes me irate but I temper my rage, holding it just below the surface. Trystan can. I do anything and everything, for a price. Remember, Mr. A pen and pad of paper catch my eye. I pace over to them and scrawl my terms onto the pad.
Then I hand it back to him. Sean glances at the paper and then looks up at me. But it seems like a good idea, so I go with it. Sean smirks at me. Besides, fucking a married woman once in a while would be hot. And in the meantime, you have your best friend close by. My heart pounds harder. I snatch the pen and add a few terms and then push it back at him. Sean nods, and moves around behind me. I want so many things in this moment, but the one that screams the loudest is that I wish he was real, I wish this was real.
Even exhausted, I have to keep playing along and trying to see where this road ends. Sean snatches the paper away, and then tugs me to him. My stomach has fallen into my shoes. When he realized I was the call girl, he was furious. He thought he'd been played by someone he trusted.
This is weird. Remember, you belong to me. I stare at it in disbelief. I sacrificed everything for this and it still slipped between my fingers. I can't even manage a full sentence. I never finished my finals. How did you get this? Is it even real? Sean laughs. You worked your ass off for that. I told the Dean that your roommate died and that it was your final semester.
He said that there was a bereavement policy that would allow you to pass your classes, which in turn earned you the degree. Someone just had to file the paperwork.
Suddenly I feel sick. My mouth is hanging open, staring in shock. I get to graduate and her family gets nothing. He takes my hands gently, as if he knows I'm about to lose it. If Amber and her boyfriend lived—if no one was hunting you like a fucking animal—then you would have gone to class. You would have gotten higher grades than the university gave you. You worked so hard and have come so far, despite everything that was thrown your way.
Most people would have quit. They died, Sean. Because of me. It splatters on the glass, obscuring my name.
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