“Well, I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have to prevent your volatile ass from killing your super. Are you sure mental illness doesn’t run in your family?”
Pulling my arm out his grip, I narrow my eyes and growl, “Low blow. You know, I liked it better when you didn’t talk. Just keep standing pretty, it’s what you’re good at.” Before I know it I’m picked up by the front of my dress and thrown against the nearest wall. He holds me there with his face mere inches from mine. I would think it’s hot if I wasn’t slightly frightened by the storm brewing in his grey irises.
“You’re nothing but a ball of trouble. Turn my wife’s offer down and go on your way. I’ll even pay you to.” Crazy as it might be, I’m mesmerized by his lips. They're so close. If I move just the briefest of centimeters, I’d know what they taste like. His closeness, and the scent of him, left me dizzy with want.
“Put me down or I’ll make what I did to him look like a holiday.” He studies me with a hard stare, but I see something more in those grey eyes of his. A forbidden lust that he’s keeping a tight hold on.
Slowly, he lowers me to my feet and I bump him hard with my shoulder as I move past him. I’ve lived here long enough to know how to handle myself. Once outside, I go to the curb to pick through my shit. Pulling my pillow out of the case, I start stuffing what I can inside it. Billy wasn’t kidding about the value of my shit. I really didn’t have much, but it was mine.
“Are you okay? What’s going on? Grayson won’t tell me anything,” Nichole asks standing behind me. She must have gotten out of the car when her hubby wouldn’t feed her the answers she wanted. I guess he’s not as whipped as I first thought.
“I’m fine. You should go. This isn’t the kind of neighborhood to hang out in at night. This isn’t Park Avenue.” I’m being bitchy, but between Billy and her hubby, I was feeling some kind of way.
Grabbing onto my arm, she says, “I’m well aware of what neighborhood I’m in and as tough as you act, you don’t need to be out here alone. Let us help you.”
“I don’t think your hubby wants that. If you really want to help, just go,” I reply, shaking her off. I don’t bother to look at her reaction. Once the pillow case is stuffed with as much shit as I can get in there, I exchange my heels for my Chucks and cross the street away from the shiny couple. McHottie is right about one thing. I am nothing but trouble.
Grayson
“What the hell did you say to her?” Nichole asks once she’s back in the car.
Thinking carefully on how to answer her question, I start the car to buy time. It doesn’t matter what I tell her. She’s going to flip as soon as I admit I told Jade to turn her offer down. I’m still trying to forget how close she was to my body. How good she felt and the irrational thought that crossed my mind of what her lips might taste like. I’m angry as hell because I’m ashamed I’m attracted to Jade. As always, Nichole is all that matters, but Jade tempts me with her darkness when I'd rather stay in Nichole’s light.
“When I found her, she was beating the shit out of her landlord because he threw her stuff out on the curb.”
“That’s understandable. I’d be pissed too if I were in her shoes,” she scoffs.
“She owes him two months’ back rent. What else did you expect the man to do?” I shout, throwing my hands up, exasperated.
“Still, he could have handled the situation better. You should have seen the destroyed look on her face as she picked through her things. It was heartbreaking.”
“Babe, she’s not a puppy. You can’t adopt her, furthermore no way in hell is she stable enough to carry our child.”
“Is that what you told her? When I offered her help, she said you wouldn’t be happy with that. What did you say to her?”
Running my hand across my face, I turn to face her. Nichole’s eyes light up like blue fire ready to run rampant like a blazing wildfire and I fear I’m about to be the brush burning under her feet. “I told her to turn your offer down,” I admit.
Her jaw clenches but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she turns away from me and faces the window. I’m in deep shit I know, but I won’t take my words back or apologize. How much love I hold for her is why I don’t need Jade anywhere near me. Pulling back on the road, I leave behind this God forsaken neighborhood and hopefully Jade too.
Jade
A week has passed since my interview at the fertility clinic. Since then, I have been living on the streets. During the day, I go place to place, applying for jobs. At night, I take turns sleeping on the bathroom floor at the bus and subway stations. Going to the shelter was out of the question, unless I wanted to stay up all night with my Swiss Army knife held tightly to my body. Not like the bathrooms were any better. I’d only get a couple hours in before I have to move on to avoid detection by the janitor or some random John looking for easy targets. My life was officially a big pile of steaming shit. I also haven’t eaten anything in days. My last fifteen bucks was gone three days in. When my cell rings, I look down and frown when I see Billy’s name flash across the screen. What the hell does this dickwad want? He better not be calling me about the rent.
“What do you want, dickface?” I ask, answering the phone.
“Don’t get hostile with me, your fuck buddy wanted me to get in touch with you about your car,” he replies.
“Fuck buddy? What the hell are you talking about?”
“That dude you were with when you broke my finger. He says your car is fixed and for you to come pick it up here at the building.”
“How do I know you’re not trying to set me up?” I ask suspiciously.
“Your boy toy paid your rent and gave me a nice little bonus for my troubles. If you weren’t such a shitty tenant or fucking violent as hell, I’d give you your apartment back.”
That’s interesting. I wonder why Grayson even bothered to do all that. He made it perfectly clear how he felt about me. Maybe Billy boy is lying, but I don’t think he’s smart enough, and how would he know I don’t have my car. “Fine,” I huff. “I’ll be there when I’m there,” I say, hanging up. At least with my car, I’ll have a safe place to sleep until I can land a job. Maybe I can get a job at a diner and sleep in my car in the parking lot like a camper van. Pulling an empty cup from the nearest trash can, I stand panhandling until I get enough cash to catch the bus. It’s not until late afternoon when I stroll into Billy’s office. He’s sitting at his cluttered metal desk and I get a sick satisfaction when I see his finger wrapped in a slant.
“Enjoying your handy work?” he snarks.
“Yes, actually I am. If you tell me your dick fell off too, I’d be over the moon.” He gives me a nasty look but my smile doesn’t falter.
“You’re lucky your little boy toy is some hotshot lawyer or I’d sue your ass. My balls are still blue.”
“Keep calling him my boy toy and your dick will match. Now, where are my keys?” I ask, holding my hand out. When he doesn’t move, I snap my fingers to move him along. “Come on now, I don’t have all day.”