Page 19 of David's Chase

Luckily, it’s warm inside.

That's nice.

It finally feels like home.

I lock the door, remove my shoes and clothes, and set my phone on the kitchen counter before heading to the bedroom.

A smile timidly claims my lips.

Mmm….David just called.

Was he worried? Did he want to make sure I got home all right? Was he in the mood for a chat? So early in the morning?

Oh, shit…The money.

I spin around––butt naked––and dart to the living room, where I dropped my clothes on the couch.

See what happens when you have no money.

No money, no anxiety.

No caring about where you have plopped your jacket.

Feverishly, I push my hand inside my jacket, grab the cash, and sprint to the bedroom, where I suddenly stop and look around.

The closet is the obvious place to hide it. Under the bed is a classic, but I need a box. And I remember the gift he sent me––the books he bought for me.

I go look for the box around the house. Please tell me I didn’t toss it in the garbage.

It was a beautiful box, and I don’t remember disposing of it.

I find it in the living room, the books still inside.

I grab them and go back to the bedroom. The books should stay on the coffee table.

But I have a better idea. I slide the bills between the pages of the books.

It takes me a few good minutes to stuff the books with my money.

My money.

Hmmm.

I smile.

It’s his money, and I won’t touch it.

Honestly, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I’m not used to having that much cash lying around.

‘You could pay off––’

“Shut up,” I say firmly to the voice inside my head before sliding the box under my bed and going straight to the bathroom.

A few more minutes pass as I walk into the shower and let the water run over me.

A sense of peace drapes over me when I close my eyes and revisit some of the things that have happened.

Thea is married.I have a new place to live and a new man in my life.

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