FORTY-SIX
FOR A MINUTE there, she couldn’t break free. Powerful as Roxie was, it wasn’t coercion. No, somewhere mid-evening at the car wash, she’d admitted the truth to herself. Being part of Crimson, Roxie’s entourage, surrounded by safety, she didn’t have to think about real life, about her real troubles. The escape might be available, but taking it, keeping it too long, she’d risk losing her confidence. More of her confidence.
Roxie invited her back to Crimson Palace, but she declined. The woman said she wasn’t done with the persuading, which was her cue to sneak away. Darroch was somewhere in the building and things were winding down…
Although it felt like an age since she’d been in her own place, getting there was welcome. She stripped off, got in the shower, and made plans.
A job, that’s what she needed. To stop relying on others to bail her out. She couldn’t lean on Roxie, couldn’t lean on the Breckenridges. The city was expensive. Too expensive for her limited savings. If she didn’t get a job soon—Huddle Hope was an option. Tripp proved he wouldn’t pressure her, in fact, he’d saved her from his brother, a couple of times.
Was that leaning? How long would it take her to get over Darroch? No, she was over him, how long would it take him to get over her? Except that was stupid. He couldn’t be into her, not really, so why was he still trying to talk to her?
Wine. Yes. She turned off the shower, stepped out to wrap a towel around her and went into the kitchen for—the fridge was open. Wide open.
Pausing, she glanced around. Had she been so out of it that she hadn’t noticed that on coming in? Damnit. Just when she couldn’t afford extra utilities, she went and blasted the shit out of the electricity. Maybe she could offer her services as a screw up. Surely someone would get a laugh out of her wrecking everything good in her life.
Snatching the wine, the cold glass slipped a little in her hand, but she caught it. No damn way she’d lose the only friend she needed that night. Grabbing the corkscrew, she didn’t bother with a glass. No, this was a straight from the bottle night.
The wine got her attention before the blow-dryer, during the blow-dry, and after. Shit, if she kept going this way, she’d pass out. Food. That would be smart. Something to soak up the alcohol.
Okay, so the only sustenance in the apartment was the salad she bought yesterday. Takeout was too much effort. Maybe there was some dressing left… somewhere. Though if the fridge had been open the whole time she’d been out, would the salad still be good? The wine was cold, icy cold, if it stayed that cold in the open door—
She swung it open and—salad wasn’t the only thing in there. A small box on the middle shelf was open to display a single chocolate. Okay, that wasn’t something she’d ever…
Peeking around the door, she checked out the room. No one. Slamming the fridge again, she went to the front door and… locked. If she’d locked the door and—did she miss the gift on getting the wine? Maybe, it was in the door, and she—only Darroch had a key.
Stomping upstairs again, she went back to her wine in the bedroom. Now she wasn’t hungry, no, she was angry. What the hell gave him the right to sneak into her home? Maybe it hadn’t been him. No. He could’ve sent anyone, paid anyone to—that was beyond crossing the line. So far beyond that there weren’t words to describe it.
Her phone rang.
Good.
Snatching it up, she anticipated who it would be. “What?” she snapped. “You better not think that—I can’t believe you—what do you have to say for yourself?”
Nothing. No apology. No explanation. Just breathing. Slow, steady but deep, inhales followed by exhales prickled every hair on her body.
Checking the screen, expecting his name, all she read was “unknown.”
“Who is this?” she asked to no reply. “Answer me!”
Something on the line clicked, a few seconds passed, and then the drone of disconnection.
Was she losing her mind?
Startled when the phone rang again, the sight of “unknown” prompted her to switch the thing off.
Whatever this was, whoever it was, the walls were closing in. She had to get out of there.