Page 35 of Tease Me (Dark Odyssey 1)

We broke up last year and yes he cheated, but he cheated with Miranda. He cheated on me with one of my friends.

It’s the reason why I’m not that close with her, and the reason why we’re still some resemblance to the friends we used to be, is that she came and told me. She was the one who came and told me what was going on.

If it had been just the one time, maybe I would have been more open to push it all aside and give her credit for stepping forward and owning up to what was going on.

But no, it wasn’t that. She’d been sleeping with him for years and honestly I think she told me because she got pregnant and he didn’t want the baby. It was one big bust-up that left me heartbroken and blaming myself for the long distance relationship we’d had.

After Harvard, Chad came back to Chicago with me because we planned to be here. My friends became his friends and it was all nice. Then I got the job in LA with Silvermans. At no point whatsoever did he seem bothered by it. He was fine, or so I thought. In our big bust-up he told me how selfish I was. How I never thought of him when I decided to move to L.A, and what did I expect him to do?

When I answered that I never expected him to cheat on me with one of my friends, he thought I was in the wrong. He made it seem like it was during that time but he didn’t know that I knew he’d been sleeping with Miranda for years before I left for L.A.

We broke up and I didn’t want to speak to anyone for months. What brought me out of my shell was hearing that Miranda was in a car accident and lost her baby.

Pushing the past out of my head, I look ahead at the waitress making her way toward me.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asks with a pleasant smile.

“Yes, can I have an extra-large chocolate shake please?”

She nods, drops her foot back and retracts her steps to the kitchen.

I have a long day ahead of me.

I planned out everything earlier. I’m gonna get a babysitter for Beth who can look after her in the evenings. The Pattersons have agreed to have her for the rest of the week or more if we need. They were really worried when they heard about Dad and they know how hard I’ve been trying to find work. It’s nice of them to offer to help but I don’t want to impose so I’ll accept the help for the rest of the week and get a babysitter after.

I’ll visit Dad in an hour and prep everything.

Prepare for tonight.

Well… at least I fixed one thing. Kind of, sort of.

I stopped Hector from killing Dad. I paid the money. Now I have to do the rest.

I told Nickoli Giordano I’d be his.

What does it mean to be his?

Be with a man who I just met in the way he wants me to.

I have to do this for my family… that’s what I’m telling myself.

At the same time, I know that it’s not the entire truth.

Yes I agreed to the bizarre contract and signed my body away to a man I don’t know because I need the money for my family, but last night was testament that it’s so much more than that.

I can lie to myself all I want and paint this in whatever color I wish. I can do all of that but I can’t change the truth.

It’s a truth that stirs shame in the pit of my stomach.

The truth is, I want him too.

I really must have lost my mind.

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