7. Bella
SEVEN
Bella
I drag myself up to my room, exhaustion seeping into my bones after the self defense class followed by the unexpected shift at the bar.
I collapse onto my bed, the events of the day swirling in my head. My phone feels heavy in my pocket, and I pull it out, debating whether to text Lily.
Finally, I decide I need to talk to someone and it’s either her or Alex. I’m not willing to ask him where he went tonight. Like he said, I might not like the answer.
You awake?
A few seconds later, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I answer it, relieved to hear Lily’s voice.
“I’m always awake, what’s up?” she asks, her voice filled with concern.
“Hey,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “I just needed to talk.”
There’s a brief silence on the other end. “If he hurt you, tell me, I’ve got weapons and ammo.”
“How do you know what I’m calling about?”
“Because it’s one in the morning and I know you.”
I take a deep breath, trying to sum up everything. “We went for a drink tonight and he told me a relationship would be a bad idea.”
“What? Just came out with it out of nowhere?”
“Pretty much. He said he’s only got a couple of weeks here and he would want me to submit to him. Thinks I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
“What do you think?”
“I said I’d try it tonight.”
“You did?”
“He gave me a command and I did it but when I came back, he’d gone.”
“What? The son of a bitch ghosted you?”
“I don’t know. Do you think that’s what happened?”
She pauses for a moment. “Text him and ask him.”
“What? Now?”
“Do it. I’ll wait.”
I pull the phone from my ear and type out a message.
Where did you go?
I hit send and wait. Within moments I get a reply.
Had something to do. Will be in touch.
I read the reply out to Lily. “What do you think?”
“That this could be a great way to dip your toes into the world of sub/dom relationships.”
“Sub/dom?”
“Submission and dominance. He’s in charge, wants to give you commands. You submit.”
“Why would I let someone tell me what to do?”
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. You get to just enjoy yourself without having to think too hard about anything. Plus, he won’t be around long, right? So there’s no awkward talk about breaking up. You do it until he disappears, then get on with your life.”
“Hold on, someone’s knocking on my door. I’ll call you back.”
I get to my feet and look out through the spy-hole, expecting to see Alex. It’s not him. It’s a stranger in his early forties. “Who is it?” I shout through the door.
“Letter for Bella Bennett,” he replies.
I pull the door open. “It’s gone midnight.”
He shrugs. “Got orders to get it here as fast as I could. Told to make sure you got it in person.”
I take it from him, looking down at it. I recognize the handwriting on the envelope. Dad wrote this “Thanks,” I say, ripping open the envelope at once.