Page 14 of Pretty Heartache

I open my mouth, the words resting on the tip of my tongue, begging to spill. I want to tell him the truth, but shame fills my gut. Suddenly, the spot on my face where Maddox struck me last seems to swell. It feels as if it’s flashing like a bright red beacon, even if the bruise may be gone.

I want to tell Micah I don’t have a set date in mind to leave. I wouldn’t know where to go even if I wanted to escape. I tried calling my best friend Ember, but she hasn’t returned my call. I only tried her after I called Archer the second I stepped out of my trailer back in Los Angeles. With him living overseas and constantly working all over Europe, he didn’t have a place for me to stay. After hanging up, he said he’d get back to me with a solution. When Ember didn’t answer, he’d called me back telling me he’d found a place for me to go. A place with Micah.

With no other choice, I took him up on his offer. Archer didn’t ask questions then, and neither has Micah now.

The confession rests on the tip of my tongue, but I force it back down. Voicing the truth only solidifies my reality. The truth is easy to ignore when you refuse to speak it into existence.

I take Micah’s card and drop it on top of my bag.

“I guess we have a deal, then,” I tell him.

He eyes me up and down as he rakes his fingers through his messy hair. “I know you’re twenty-one now, and you probably have a million other things you’d rather be doing. Going out with your friends or partying. I understand if you don’t want to do this. No one is forcing you.”

“No.” I choke down the emotion building in my throat. “I told you I want to earn my keep. If this is what it takes, I’ll happily do it.”

I’ve never given much thought to interior design, and I’m probably the least qualified to take on a project such as this one, but I’m in no position to be picky. I’ve spent the past three years keeping myself busy, creating a life that looks drastically different from the one I was raised in. And when it came down to it, it led me right back into the arms of someone with just as much dangerous power over me as my family.

Despite only being blocks from my parents’ house, I feel as if this place is still giving me the opportunity to start fresh. At least I can use it as a jumping point to give me time to figure out where to go next.

“Good, then it’s settled.” He nods as a vibration sounds off in his pocket. He clicks on his screen and reads a message before looking back up at me. “I’ve got to go take care of some business.”

“Okay,” I say nervously.

“Your copy of the house key is on the dresser.” He points to the keyring he dropped on top when we first walked in.

“Thanks.”

“I don’t plan on coming back tonight, so you’ll have the whole place to yourself.”

I close my mouth and swallow my nerves. I don’t know why, but I’m conflicted. The thought of staying in a strange, cobweb-covered house, completely alone, has every nerve firing on all cylinders. I give Micah a simple nod, resisting the urge to askhim when hewillbe back. I know he doesn’t live here, but I wonder how often he comes by.

Once he’s standing at the threshold, Micah stops and turns long enough to nod at the card still sitting on top of my duffel. “Don’t be afraid to use that card for things other than furniture and décor. You can use it to buy groceries or whatever else you might need. The refrigerator is completely empty.”

“I can buy my own food, Micah.” I ignore the way his gaze makes me feel, as if he’s shining a spotlight on me. My heart races, and my palms grow sweaty.

“Right.” He taps his fingers on the doorframe, his gold watch glinting in the mid-morning sun peeking through the faded curtains. “Enjoy your new home, Adeline.”

Then he’s gone, my full name spilling from his mouth and dropping like a heavy stone at the bottom of my stomach.

I sit on the edge of the bed and allow the silence to wrap itself around me. It comforts me like a warm blanket. This house carries a history with it; secrets and memories buried within the faded walls. There’s something comforting in knowing I’m alone with them, both inside and outside.

When the thoughts become too much, I quickly stand and swipe the keys from the dresser, leaving Micah’s credit card sitting on top of my bag. I shut the door to my new bedroom behind me and set out on my first mission in my new life.

Food.

FIVE

Freshly showered, with my pain pills kicking in, I shut off the engine and slide out of the driver’s seat. It’s been a long time since I’ve driven my own car, and when I first decided to drive this morning, I immediately regretted my decision, but it was too late to turn around. I drove into the city with a pounding headache and the need to vomit.

I haven’t been this hungover since I was in my early twenties. With a headache from hell, and my eyeballs ready to pop right out of the sockets, I remember why I stopped drinking years ago. Before my life turned to absolute shit. I kept my drinking under control for quite some time after I was released, but as the days of being back in not only the real world, but my world—the Harding world—all I could think about was the sweet relief I would feel once I took a drink of whiskey.

I took last night a little too far, though. Further than I have in years. The high and numbness I get from drinking simply isn’t worth the aftereffects.

I downplayed my night to Adeline. It was embarrassing enough to have her find me passed out on my front porch. Especially after not having seen or talked to her for ten years. I didn’t give much thought to seeing her again… until I saw her.

Although she was wearing a long, thick sweater and loose joggers, I could tell she wasn’t the eleven-year-old girl I remembered. She’s now a full-grown woman.

After I toss the keys to the valet out front and stride into the lobby, I ride the elevator up to my brother’s office, with my hand pressed against the wall, and my head hanging low. It’s an agonizingly slow ride, and when the lift stops and pings, I push off the wall and step out, bypassing all the secretaries at the front desk along the way. I don’t plan on staying here long, considering I have a client meeting in Barcelona tomorrow morning. I need to head over to the airport hangar to catch my flight if I’m going to make it with enough time to sleep.

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