Page 34 of Redemption
“There is one condition for accepting this money that I forgot to mention.”
Ah, there it is.I stared at him and felt my lips press into a fine line as I tried to brace myself for what awful thing he might say next.
“I want you to move out of Henry’s place, into your own apartment.”
“And?” I asked.
“That’s all.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I simply nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. As I made my way down the hall, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d just traded one set of problems for another.
When I reached the bathroom door, I heard the water stop running. I knocked lightly. “Emma, you almost done?”
“Yeah, just a sec!” she called back.
As I waited, I leaned against the wall, my mind still reeling from everything that had happened. I knew I should be relieved—I had a way out of the financial mess I was in—but instead, I felt more conflicted than ever.
When Emma finally emerged in her change of clothes with damp hair, she gave me a tired smile.
I forced a smile in return. “I’m going to rinse off real quick, then we can go.”
“Okay, I’ll just be out here,” Emma said.
I stepped into the steaming bathroom, pulled out the thick envelope, and let out a shaky breath as I quietly opened it. I held the pile of money in my hands. It was more money than I’d ever held or seen before. The unique scent of cash seemed to fill the room as I shuffled through what felt like endless hundred-dollar bills. I swallowed hard, stuffed the money back into the envelope, and then jumped in the shower, rinsing off as fast as I could.
As I walked back toward the living room, I found Emma sitting on the couch.
“Where’s Gabriel?” I asked.
“He left after I thanked him just as you got in the shower.”
“Oh. Okay, well, I guess we’ll just go then,” I said.
Part of me was relieved, but another part—a much larger part—was disappointed. I found myself wanting to see him again. Now that I wasn’t scared, the thought of him walking all over Rosso Drilling was kind of… hot.
We stepped outside, and as the door clicked shut behind us, I glanced back at the house one last time.
“You doing okay?” I asked Emma as we walked down the patio stairs.
“Yeah, I’m just really tired. Today was rough. I’m really sorry about your painting and your brushes.”
“Don’t be sorry. It wasn’t your fault. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Still, I feel a little responsible. It was my idea to go to the beach today, and now your brushes are gone. I want to at least pay you to replace them.”
“Trust me, Emma, you don’t have to worry about it, okay?”
As we walked, the envelope hidden in my waistband made me feel lighter with every step. Nothing in life had ever been free for me, but Gabriel’s price was… what? That I live a better life? I couldn’t help but smile as I climbed into the passenger seat.
Sophia
Abead of sweat rolled down my forehead as I lugged another heavy box downstairs to the gallery. The small pile of boxes didn’t look like much, but my whole life was in them. I groaned and stretched my sore back, then went to the kitchen for something to drink. Henry sat in a chair at the table, arms crossed. He turned his attention to the ground as I entered the kitchen. It was okay for him to be sad that I was moving out, but this was just ridiculous. He was acting like a child not getting his way. I rolled my eyes, returning his silence as I filled my cup with water. I felt the urge to console him, but didn’t know what to say to someone being so standoffish and immature. I left the kitchen without a word, content to rest in my empty room instead.
Halfway up the narrow stairwell, I stopped with a sigh, a wave of empathy swelling up within me. In his mind, I was abandoning him. It’s normal for someone who felt what he felt to act this way. I was exhausted from moving my things downstairs and dealing with his negativity, but I couldn't just go rest in my room knowing he was sitting there sad and alone. I had to try to help him, even though I didn’t know how.
I turned back and returned to the kitchen, entering with a sympathetic smile. "Henry," I said softly.
He shifted his eyes toward me and his breathing became more rapid. The forced indifference on his face curled into a scowl, and the table rattled under his fist. "After everything I’ve done for you, you just throw it all away."
