Chapter Fourteen
It took me three hours to get out of the car and go inside.
Once I got here, I realized that this place desperately needed to be cleaned.
The problem is, I have no idea how much money I have.
I am sitting at the kitchen island with the massive pile of mail I have to sort through, and I am realizing that I have so much to do.
First, I’ll start by calling the bank to see how much money I have available.
As it rings, I grow more terrified that I have nothing. I had it deposited into savings, but I was in the hospital when it came through, so I never found out how much it was. When I got out, before I went to Meridian, I didn’t check.
“Thank you for calling Park Ridge Credit Union,” the lady says sweetly. “How may I help you?”
“Yes, I actually need to check my available balance for my account. Uh… My father passed, and the life insurance was supposed to be deposited about a year ago. I’ve been… away… so I haven’t been able to check it.”
“I can definitely help with that! Can you give me your account number?” she asks.
I rattle it off from memory, hoping that it’s correct.
Shockingly, I got it right. For some reason, numbers just stick with me.
Not much else does, but I can remember a number.
She has me verify my account before asking me to hold so she can get everything pulled up.
“Yes, so your available balance in your checking account is seventeen dollars and eighteen cents. Your available balance in your savings is $1,568,988.33. You are listed as the executor of an estate under the name Lenord Justice. The account balance in the checking account is $376.65, and the balance in savings is $568,123.39.”
“...What the fuck did you just say?” I ask.
“Uhm… You have…”
“No, I’m sorry. You don’t have to repeat it. I just didn’t expect that,” I say. “Uh… Can I transfer everything from my dad’s accounts into my savings and close his?”
“I can transfer it over, but you will have to come into a branch to close the account. I can note that account of your plans, if you want.”
“Yes, please. That would be amazing,” I say. After a few quiet moments, she continues.
“Your savings balance now is $2,137,488.37,” she tells me. “I also have your father’s account noted, and the monthly fees paused.”
“Perfect. Okay. Can I get the app login reactivated so I can check it there going forward?” I ask.
“Yes, ma’am,” she says. “Okay, your old login should be active again. If you have to change your password, you can do so by following the prompts as normal.”
“Okay, thank you,” I say. When I get off the call, I log into my banking app and see the same numbers she just gave me. “What the fuck…”
Okay, so maybe I don’t have to get a job right away. I can focus on getting this house ready to sell, and then go from there. If I’m smart with my money, maybe I won’t have to get a job.
I need to go to the store and get cleaning supplies, but also food. I decide to abandon the pile of mail and grab my bag. When I open the front door, I shriek and jump back when there is someone with their hand raised, about to knock on the door.
“Oh, shit. Sorry,” he laughs.
“Fuck, Giovanni,” I pant, holding my chest. Giovanni Davis was my neighbor growing up and my best friend.
We tried to keep in contact when I went to college, but school was so demanding that I just couldn’t keep up.
I feel like a royal bitch for ghosting him, especially because he has no idea why I did it.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw someone was here, so I wanted to see who. When did you get back?”
“Today,” I say. “I’ve been… away.”
“Yeah, you sure have,” he chuckles. “Were you about to leave?”
“Uh, yeah. I can hold off. How are you? Come in.”
Giovanni steps in and looks around, obviously stunned. “Wow,” he says.
“Yeah. I was about to go to the store to get some cleaning supplies. The house needs a lot of work before I can sell it,” I explain. “You still live with your folks?”
“No, Mom died about two years ago, and Dad passed a month ago,” he explains.
“Oh my God, Gio. I am so sorry,” I say. “Fuck, that’s so sad.”
“Yeah, Dad basically grieved himself to death. I think that was the worst part, but… I’m sorry about your Dad.”
“I’m not,” I say with a shrug. “Look… I disappeared on you and never gave you or anyone an explanation.”
“You don’t owe me one, Ayla,” he says gently.
“No, I do,” I say. “Dad beat me my entire childhood and was raping me from the time I was thirteen. When I saw an out, I took it and ran.”
“Goddamn. I knew that fucker was hurting you, but that…”
“Yeah… He called me by Mom’s name,” I say. “So uh… Wow, I haven’t explained any of this before. I just kinda trauma dumped on you.”
“Well, you don’t have to, Ayla, and it’s okay. I’m just glad you’re back, even if only temporarily,” he says with a sweet smile.
“Are you busy?” I ask.
“Busy talking to you,” he says with his signature cheesy smile. “What’s up?”
“Wanna come to the store with me? I just need to grab some stuff and…”
“And I would love to,” he says. “Let’s do it.”
“Okay,” I say, smiling. We walk out of the house, and I lock the front door before we go to my car. I get in, and he opens the passenger seat. “Oh, shit. I’ll move that.”
“Still a clutter-bug, I see,” he jokes as I move my bag to the backseat. He picks the discharge paperwork up from the passenger seat as he sits, and I immediately try to snatch it away, but it’s too late. He’s seen it.
“Giovanni…”
“Didn’t think you were kinky, Ayla. Is this where you’ve been?” he asks with a grin, handing me the papers. I set them in the backseat with a sigh before looking at him. “Go ahead. Do that word vomit thing you do.”
“The day I graduated from college, my professor raped me, and I shut down. I tried to kill myself, and I was in an involuntary mental health facility until I was released six weeks ago. Then I went to Meridian to transition out…”
“But you are better now?” he asks, motioning to my wrist where the massive scar is.
“Uh… Yeah. Or I was… It’s complicated,” I say.
“Well, drive and explain. I’m all ears,” he says, patting my hand. I nod and focus on pulling out of the driveway before continuing.
“One of the psychiatrists I had at the hospital works at Meridian. He told me about it. He’s best friends with the owner and my… trainer…”
“Dom,” he corrects.
“Yeah… Well, I fell for both of them. I thought they fell for me. When it came time to leave today, I realized we hadn’t discussed how shit would be outside of Meridian.
I overreacted slightly, and I think that I lost them forever,” I explain.
“I texted them and said I didn’t grab my journal, but I definitely did.
I just wanted to talk to them. I miss them, but… ”
“First of all, I am a psychologist,” he says.
“If you didn’t know that. Secondly, it sounds like they want you to see that you are capable of being independent.
Once the shock of leaving wears off, things will work out.
If you want to talk to them, then talk to them.
Generally, providers absolutely should not fuck their clients, but you attended a facility aimed at healing through BDSM, so you do.
They just don’t want to make you co-dependent. ”
“How do you know this?” I ask.
“Well… Because I interviewed as a provider at Meridian with Thane Meridian himself.”
“No shit. When?” I ask.
“Uhhh. Seven weeks ago. He said hiring would take place after this program concluded because they’d have about a month until the next one,” he explains.
“Well… Alrighty then,” I say with a sigh. I stare out the front window as I drive, and I can feel him watching me. “Please, stop staring at me.”
“Hey, Thane. This is Giovanni,” he says. I snap my head to him, and he is looking at me, but has his phone in his hand.
“Stop it,” I say in a hushed tone.
“Hey, Giovanni. I was actually planning to call you soon. How are things?”
“Good, actually,” Giovanni says. I pull off on the shoulder of the road and try to escape the car, but he grabs my wrist and shakes his head. “So I went to my parents’ house today to do some work on the place, and noticed someone was at my neighbor’s house.”
“Uh-huh…” Thane says, unsure of what the fuck Giovanni is getting at.
“Well, turns out it was my neighbor’s daughter. She was my best friend growing up, but we lost contact when we went to college. I ended up going with her to the store to get some cleaning supplies, but you’ll never guess what was in her passenger seat.”
“I’m dying to know,” Thane deadpans.
“Discharge papers for Meridian,” Giovanni says, and there is a long pause. “I’m talking about Ayla, Thane. I’m sitting with her, and I’m pretty sure she might stab me for this. She thinks you two don’t want her.”
“Shut the fuck up, you slimy little shit,” I snap, trying to take his phone.
“Definitely a brat subtype,” Giovanni laughs. “I told her you two were probably just giving her space to grow, but she is sad.”
“Run whatever errands she needs, and we will meet her there,” Thane says. “Ayla?”
“What?” I snap.
“We love you, baby girl. That’s never changed and it never will,” he tells me.
“I love you, too,” I say quietly.
“We’ll see you soon,” Giovanni says before ending the call. “See? Communication is a wonderful tool.”
“Why wouldn’t they just say that?” I ask.
“Well, because they were probably scared, too,” he says. “When you left, I spent the whole time wanting to reach out, but I was afraid. That cost me a lot, so I know how that feels.”
“Years?” I ask. “I’m so sorry, Giovanni.”
“It’s not your fault, Ayla,” he tells me. “I knew you were in survival mode. I saw the bruises he left behind, and I was so damn proud of you for getting out of it.”
“I wasn’t beaten anymore, but anytime he was drinking and I came around, he’d rape me,” I say. “In fact… The night he died… Well… Wow, this is weird.”
“I don’t judge. Did you kill him?” Giovanni asks. I flinch a bit, and he grows more confused. “Wait, did you?”