Page 93 of Prey Tell
We are pleased to inform you that your student loan(s) referenced below have been paid in full. Please keep this letter for your records as proof of payment for this student loan. We’ve enjoyed having you as a customer and wish you the best in the future.
I grab my phone and call Jackson before the letter hits the floor.
“Finally! I was starting to think you’d met some hottie on your work trip and—”
“Did you pay off my student loans?” I ask, my voice shaky.
He laughs. “I wish I was rich enough, Jules, but no. Why? Did someone pay them off?”
My hand is shaking as I stare at the letter on the ground. “I had six figures of debt. I’d accounted for that, budgeted for it for the next twenty years, and now it’s just… gone?”
Jackson laughs on the other end of the line. “Yeah, and? Why do you sound unhappy about it? Maybe it’s a glitch.”
“It must be a mistake,” I tell him, but the instant the words leave my mouth, I know it’s not. “Fuck,” I mutter, sitting down on one of the dining room chairs. “I have to go.”
“Wait, aren’t you going to update me on your trip? How was it?”
Right. Work trip.“Good. Learned a lot.”
“Want me to bring over some dinner tonight?”
I nod even though he can’t see me. Truth be told, I’m still reeling from the letter. “Sure. Sounds amazing.”
After we hang up, I stare down at my phone. I have Chase’s number from when we were younger, but I realize now that I don’t know if he still has the same number. I didn’t think to ask—it felt so insignificant compared to what we shared over the weekend. Pressing the call button, it rings a few times before Chase answers.
“Miss me already?” he purrs. He must still be driving, because I can hear the wind.
“Did you pay off my student loans?” I ask, my throat catching because I already know the answer.
“Of course I did. Didn’t you read the contract?”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “There was nothing about paying off my loans—”
“Actually, there was. At the bottom. Check your email—Luna emailed you a copy, remember?”
“Thank you,” I force out, trying to rationalize the multitude of emotions welling up inside of me.
“You’re welcome.” He clears his throat, and I hear a car door open. “I’ll see you Friday, okay? My assistant will be dropping something off this week.”
“What?” I ask, my voice soft.
“You’ll see. Get some rest before Friday,” he adds, his voice a low growl. It sends a spark of something hot through me. I don’t need to ask him what he means—my body understands.
“Have a good week,” I say numbly, and then I’m hanging up and staring at the front door for several minutes before his words slam back into me.
Check your email—Luna emailed you a copy, remember?
I pull open my email, wincing at the multitude of neglected emails. I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without checking my university email, but I digress. I find the email from Luna, and it’s all very professional. I have to enter my birthdate to open the file—I certainly appreciate the discretion—and then my eyes scan over the bottom portion of the contract, written in fine print.
The Dominant unconditionally and irrevocably agrees to pay off any and all debt accrued by the submissive according to the terms and conditions as detailed in Exhibit A, line 5.
My eyes wander up to Exhibit A, and my heart flutters when I see the line.
The Dominant agrees to care for the submissive to include tending to the physical safety and emotional and mental wellbeing of the submissive as long as he owns the submissive.
I set my phone down as I smile, place my face in my hands, and cry.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
