34
THEA
There’s a large bag on the desk in the waiting area as I walk into the studio. Cassie’s sitting in a chair in the corner. Her brown eyes flick up from her phone and she beams at me. My stomach knots. I’ve been debating all morning if I should tell her about Gavin.
We talked briefly last night after I had the chance to process everything with my apartment. I didn’t tell her then, only because I was already tired and didn’t want to be on the phone all night. Also, I had to deal with the text from my mom.
Mom: Have you heard from Gavin lately?
I about threw my phone across the room. Not a “Hi” or “How are you?”
Me: No..
It’s a lie, obviously, but considering this is the first I’ve heard from her in a month, I’m not exactly eager to share anything about what’s been going on. All she seems concerned about is Gavin, anyway. She never replied to my answer.
“What’s this?” I ask, pointing to the bag.
Cassie cants her head and grins. “Oh, one of your lover boys dropped that off a little while ago,” she teases. “Wesley.”
Curious, I peek inside. I pull out a big bowl with a clear lid. A salad. Further down in the bag, he’s packed me some snack bars, an apple, water, and some almonds. I can’t help the silly smile that spreads over my mouth.
I put the salad in the mini fridge and plop down next to Cassie.
We’ve only been apart for a week, however, after seeing each other nearly every day for the last few months, it feels like it’s been forever.
“I have so much to tell you,” she starts. I let her spill every detail of the last week. In the back of my mind, I’m still undecided about how much I should tell her. “…and then he introduced me to Johnny Mertz and Nicolette Herrera!” I immediately know that this is a big deal. These are photographers she’s admired for a long time.
I pull her in for a hug. It’s more for me than her. I’ve missed my best friend.
“I’m so happy for you. It sounds like this job was a dream come true.” I know the truth—Cole recommended her for it. Telling her is what I should do, but I can’t. She’s still riding the high from the event and I don’t want to chance ruining it. And I definitely don’t want her feeling like she owes Cole something. He did it out of the kindness of his heart.
When she finishes retelling her stories from the last week, she looks at me pointedly. “So…when are we moving you in? Did your landlord say how long until your apartment will be ready?”
This is the part I’m dreading. “He called yesterday. The damage is extensive. He’s terminating the lease.” Her brows knit in worry.
“What? Over water damage from his crappy pipes? That’s insane. I can talk to him.”
I rush to say, “No, no. It’s fine, you really don’t have to. I don’t want to create any problems.”
Cassie’s face softens. I feel horrible not telling her about the note and Gavin’s psychotic behavior. However, too many people know already.
“You’ll stay with me until we can find you another apartment. We can get your stuff on Monday. I think my schedule’s clear, and Anthony can probably take the day off.” She rubs my arm. It’s an uncharacteristic show of affection from Cassie.
“About that…I don’t want to intrude on your space again. I’m going to stay with the guys for the time being.” Her brows pop up. She doesn’t like the idea, yet I can’t tell her the reason I’ve decided to do this. So I take the disapproving look with grace.
Cass shifts in her seat like she has a million things she wants to say, but is sorting through them to pick the most important ones. “Thea, you aren’t a burden. I am happy to have you stay with me. I…I just don’t want you to become too dependent on these guys. It feels like this is moving very fast.”
I can’t muster up any defensiveness because I know she’s right. This is moving fast and as much as I’ve tried to slow it down, I can’t—I don’t want to. I want to drown in these men. It might scare me, but I’m seeing this through, even if they drag me under.
“I know. It does feel fast, but I promise you this is real. The way they care for me…” I say as my eyes slide to the bag Wesley left. “They protect and support me. It’s more than I could have ever asked for. This is what I’ve been searching for. It just came in a way I never would’ve expected.”
She shakes her head, her long hair moving with her. “Protect you from what, Thea? I don’t understand.”
Shit. I’ve said too much. I need to blur the truth. “Anything. They’re careful with my heart—keeping it safe. You should’ve seen them jump into action when my apartment flooded. They never want to see anything bad happen to me.”
Cass lets out a breath. I know she’s still wary, that’s what best friends are for. She doesn’t want to see me get hurt. “I don’t like it. However, dragging you home with me probably won’t end well. So, promise me that if anything happens, if it goes wrong, you’ll call me.”
The words are barely out of her mouth when we get a simultaneous notification on our phones. An email from the lending company. We look at each other, excitement thrumming through us.
It’s then I know it’s for the best that I didn’t tell her what happened while she was gone. How would she have reacted knowing I was about to give up everything and go back to Atlanta? And while I’m not out of the woods with Gavin lurking in the shadows, this little light is what I need in the darkness.
We open the email at the same time.
After careful consideration, Sovereign Alliance Bank was unable to take favorable action on your application for assistance. The specific reason(s) for the decision are as follows:
?There is not a reasonable assurance of repayment ability (cash flow) documented.
?There is insufficient equity.
?The proposal does not meet the eligibility requirements of Sovereign Alliance Bank’s program.
?Other
I can’t look Cass in the eyes. The reason listed clearly points to me and the guilt weighs heavily. She’s bringing in most of the money. Her books are almost always full. I’m the one struggling to find clients. If I were doing as well as her, we probably would’ve gotten the approval.
“It’s fine. We’ll try again soon, when things pick up,” she offers, trying for optimism. But when I glance at her, I can see the disappointment pulling at the edges of her weak smile and tight eyes. There’s something else there, too. A touch of panic.
“I’m sorry.” It’s all I can say. No amount of excuses or promises will make this better. That property was a beacon of hope for both of us. Now, we’re both in the dark as far as what this means for our plans.
All I can do is try harder. And that means putting my boudoir work to the side, at least temporarily.
I click through the gallery of photos, all from yesterday. It wasn’t hard to find a couple of families to pose for pictures. They would get the photoshoot for free and I’d have images to market my summer mini session.
Staring at the smiling faces on my computer screen, I feel no joy. The two cute kids in the back of a vintage red truck eating watermelon slices with dozens of whole melons piled behind them are a reminder that I’m putting my true passion on the back burner. I push the depressing thought from my mind and focus.
The truck hadn’t been hard to get. I saw it parked near the bakery two days ago and the idea came to me. The owner agreed to let me use it, as long as I took the photos on her property. She’s renting it out to me for a hundred dollars a day.
Yesterday, I photographed families so that I could start running local ads online for a summer mini shoot.
I read through the wording on the ad, check all the details, and hit publish.
It’ll take some time to hit the audience I’ve honed in on. Until then, I wait. Although, it’s difficult to sit still these days when I feel desperate to prove to the bank, Cassie, and myself that we can afford the property.
Closing my laptop, I watch the rain splatter against the wall of windows in the living room. Without my work to distract me, the thoughts pour back in. I want to forget every bad thing that’s happened this summer, however, with no end in sight, it’s hard.
Yesterday, I got another text from Gavin. His contact was unblocked again. The words are burned into my memory, despite deleting the message and blocking him once more.
Gavin: The more you ruin my life, the more I ruin yours…
I don’t even know how I’m ruining his life. It doesn’t make sense. Our breakup was a year ago. Now, if I pressed charges, I could see why he might be angry. But I’ve avoided involving the police because I don’t want to set him off or have to see him in court to prove he’s a danger to me. Clearly, my passive approach isn’t working.
“Deep in thought, princess?” I jump at Damian’s voice.
“Fuck, you scared me,” I bite out. My heart’s pounding as he stands there calm and…looking so good. Jesus.
Damian’s in a light gray, tailored suit that hugs his body perfectly. He’s wearing a casual black V-neck underneath that matches his watch and loafers.
I close my mouth that’s fallen open and pull my eyes from his body to look him in the face. Caught. I’m still not exactly happy with him. Reaching out to him took a lot. Telling him I could need him took even more. I had to put my ego aside to be that vulnerable. And he thought I was playing some kind of game.
We haven’t talked much since, which has been easy because he’s holed himself up in his room.
“Going somewhere?” I ask, forcing my eyes to lock with his instead of admiring how good he looks right now.
He smirks. “Avoiding my question?”
Damian could have had the best parts of me, instead he wants me to focus on his brothers. “Sure. Like you’re avoiding me?” His stupid smirk falls into a frown.
“I haven’t been avoiding you. I’m busy…with things.” He replies mysteriously.
I shift my gaze back to the windows. “I’m not avoiding your question. I’m trying to not think at all, actually.”
Damian sits on the arm of the couch, blocking my view. Clearly, he wants some attention, despite his objections a few days ago. I’m not in the mood for the back and forth. I don’t have the energy to give him the push back he seems to like. So I stare through him, as if he isn’t there at all.
“That property still on your mind?” I don’t need to answer. I’m sure he sees it in the quick wince and tension that suddenly tugs at my shoulders.
“Cole tell you?” Damian looks away. That’s a yes.
He’s quiet for a moment. “I could buy it for you,” he mutters as he fidgets with the ring on his finger, running his thumb over the wolf’s head.
What the hell?My jaw tightens. Now he’s got my attention. “Are you actually insane? That property is over four hundred thousand dollars.” My eyes narrow and my chest heaves. I don’t know why his offer makes me angry. I think he’s trying to be nice, but he knows I’ll never accept it, so it feels more like a sick joke.
Not that I’d ever take that much money from him. However, if I did, I know there’d be strings attached. He’s invested in his brothers’ businesses, although at a cost. He becomes a part of the business and earns money off of them. Would he ask the same of Cassie and me?
I can’t give him that much power.
I offered myself. He can have my trust and I could make it so that I need him. But my business…no, he can’t have that.
“It’s not a big deal, princess. I’d be happy to pay that or double, if that’s what it takes to make you happy…to make your dreams come true.”
My eyes shift away and I bite my lip in anger. He’s taunting me now. I believe Damian when he says he’d pay for it, probably without a second thought. But why? To have more control?
I suck in a deep breath and smooth out my face. “Damian, I’ll consider your offer.” His blue eyes light up. I can taunt him, too. “I’ll consider it, if you can let me in. Show me something real and I’ll think about it.”
“That’s not fair, Thea,” he mumbles. I can tell I’ve struck a nerve. And that’s why I said it. The chances of Damian truly opening up to me are slim, at least anytime soon, so it’ll get this topic off the table for a while. I hope.
I stand to leave, however, he reaches out a hand to stop me. I’ve had about enough for one day. “What, Damian?” I sigh.
“I have something to show you.” Normally, curiosity would be gnawing at me to know what it is. I can’t muster it, although I still follow him as he heads toward his room.