Chapter 1 #2
My stomach dropped straight to the floor. I knew that voice. I’d heard it before—cutting, sharp, slamming a door in my face while her son’s words still echoed in my ears.
No. It couldn’t be. There was no way. How had she gotten on the Ranch’s grounds?
The knock came again, firmer this time. I padded to the door, tugging my cartoon long tee straight as though that could disguise everything.
When I opened it, my stomach dropped.
It was her.
Vasiah Jonathan.
The woman who thought I was a fraud, a nuisance, and a scam artist.
And now? She was standing at my door.
“You?” I breathed.
Vasiah froze in the doorway, just as startled. Her eyes widened, her composure cracking for the first time since I’d met her. “Seraphina?”
We just stared for a beat too long. My cheeks burned, and then the words tumbled out.
“What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?” I asked her, afraid to know that she would go to great lengths. Then another thought came to mind. “Is Emerson okay?”
“What? No. He’s fine.” She paused, shaking her head. “I’m Mistress V. I came to introduce myself to you, I think. You’re Seraphina?”
“I am. Of course you’d show up here. Did you ask for this? To be matched with me? Is this some kind of revenge because I told you the truth about Emerson’s driving?”
Her brow furrowed. “Absolutely not.”
“Don’t lie to me,” I snapped, my voice trembling more from nerves than fury. “You hated me from the moment we met. And now suddenly you’re my mentor? You expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line before she exhaled slowly, her shoulders dropping.
“I didn’t know,” she said, her voice quieter than I’d ever heard it.
“I didn’t even know who my mentee was until I got here tonight.
I’ve been traveling for work the last two weeks.
That’s why I haven’t reached out as much.
On my phone, the images on the Mentor site aren’t very clear.
I figured that I’d wait and handle it once I got here. ”
I folded my arms across my chest, clutching at the only shield I had left.
“So you didn’t care enough to show up for your role either?
That tracks. And had you asked me to send you a picture I would’ve.
When I asked you to send one of yourself since you hadn’t bothered to upload one, I thought this entire situation was very Catfish like. Now I know it definitely is.”
Her jaw tightened. “That’s not fair—”
“Fair?” My laugh came out bitter. “You don’t even realize, do you? I see the way Emerson shrinks around you, like he can’t get a word in. And now you’re doing the same thing to me. Do you even care? About him? About this? Me? Doesn’t this mentor role come with responsibility and accountability?”
The flicker of guilt in her eyes was real, but I couldn’t let it matter.
My heart was already in my throat. Plus, I couldn’t exactly stop the words from erupting from me.
It was very much unlike me, but I’d had enough of this entire situation and she couldn’t just walk all over people and think that showing up in her crisp, black suit, red button-down, and black-and-white Nike’s were going to make this any better.
Her long dreadlocks were neatly coiffed, highlighting her striking cheekbones and those beautiful hazel eyes of hers.
She was a beautiful disaster and I wanted her out of my doorway.
Sinful as she looked, she was the kind of woman that would undo every resolve you had and then leave you in a puddle on the ground.
Then like the arrogant witch that she was, she’d walk around you, not wanting you to soil the soles of her crisp shoes.
“I don’t need this.” My hand curled around the edge of the door. “And I definitely don’t need you.”
Before she could say another word, I shoved the door shut. The latch clicked into place, muffling the silence on the other side. I locked it and exhaled a loud sigh followed by a grunt that came from low in my diaphragm, exploding from my mouth.
I leaned against the door for a long, shaking breath before stumbling to my bed.
My blanket, my bear, my whole little nest felt hollow now.
Not safe. Even though she hadn’t been inside, the residue of her presence seemed to linger on everything making me question every life decision up to this point.
Hot tears spilled as I crawled beneath the blanket, dragging my laptop onto my knees. My fingers flew, fueled by anger and humiliation.
Master E,
Thank you for everything you’ve done to make this program feel safe.
But I’m withdrawing. Please don’t worry about a refund—I understand the policies.
This just isn’t for me. I can’t keep forcing something that clearly doesn’t fit.
I appreciate everything I’ve learned but I’m going to try a different path.
Seraphina
I read it once, twice. Then, before I could second-guess myself, I hit send.
Finally, I shut the laptop and let the sobs come, muffled into the fleece of my blanket.
Tomorrow, I told myself. Tomorrow I’d start forgetting this whole mess and book my flight back home. Not feeling like the Disney Cruise was appropriate any more, I’d cancel it tomorrow as well.
Screw this. My parents were right. Hopefully it wasn’t too late to show them that I could be their good girl. Then everything else would fall into place. It just had to.
Suddenly feeling like I was suffocating, I threw the blanket off me and sat up. When that wasn’t enough, I ran to the window and opened it, letting the cooler night air rush me.
I see… Darkness. The window frame. The outline of trees. Stars shining down on me. The fullest moon.
I hear… People chattering. The crunch of somebody walking across gravel. My own heavy breathing. The TV muttering the words from a cartoon I wasn’t watching.
I smell… Freshly cut grass. Manure. Wood burning in a fire.
I taste… The mint from my toothpaste. Cherry pie I’d been craving for weeks and finally gotten a slice of.
I am… Brave. Beautiful. Creative. Important. Worthy. Able. Wonderful. Fun. Joyous…
Breathing became an afterthought as my body relaxed into its normal routine and my systems regulated.
Everything will work out how it is meant to.
I closed my eyes and prayed that I was strong enough to endure it.