It shouldn't turn me the fuck on, but it does.
That night is the first of many that I spend late in my office that week. I feed Elise excuse after bullshit excuse and stay up late waiting for trouble. But trouble doesn't come.
By the eighth day I'm pissed as fuck, especially since I already sent her the cash and I saw the transaction went through. The little bitch cheated me... and I'm going to make her fucking pay.
Chapter 7
Willa
I get a second message from the mystery daddy on the app. It's only a location with a time for today, and an amount of money that makes it impossible to swallow.
"Fuck," I mutter to myself, pushing my feet off my bed. Who is this guy and why is he so eager to meet me?
I spend my morning the way I usually do – with Dove, Nox and the boys. Scott and Kellan are adorable, but they're driving me crazy with their antics today. After they prank me by switching the salt and sugar and pouring some into my toothpaste, I've had just about enough of the two rascals.
"I'm going out later," I tell Dove as she does the dishes.
"Oh?" Nox embraces her from behind, kissing her cheek. "Where you going?"
"To meet up with Mercy," I lie smoothly.
"Give her our love," Dove says with a faraway smile. "She has to come for dinner sometime soon. How's the situation at home with her?"
"Not good," I mutter. "But she doesn't talk about it much."
"Is she still with that boy?" Nox knits his brows together.
"Unfortunately." I grab an apple off the counter and wave them off as I head to my bedroom. They invited me to come to the zoo with them, but I turned it down. While I'm totally aware going to the zoo with your parents and siblings isn't the coolest thing to do when you're freshly turned eighteen, I do want to go. But I can't – I need the privacy to decide what I want to do about my second date.
I go through my hidden stash of savings in my bedroom. With Raphael's money and the promised cash for today's meeting, I'd be pretty much set to leave LA – with Mercy in tow.
But Raphael told me not to see anyone else from the app.
And besides... I'm not even sure anymore whether I really want to leave LA.
Not now that I’ve met Raphael.
My phone pings with a message and I look down, furrowing my brows when I see it.
If you show up today, I’ll give you an extra ten grand.
It’s from the person I’m meeting today.
Nervously, my teeth dig into my bottom lip as I question my decision.
There’s something Raphael doesn’t know about me yet, but it’s something he’s about to find out.
I’m a fuck-up. I’ll never be anything more than that.
This belief, ingrained in my head and hammered there by my stepfather and my mom, will never leave my mind for long. I’m acutely aware of the downfall of thinking this way, but there’s nothing to be done about it – it’s only the truth, after all.
I send a text back even though there are tears burning my eyes and I feel sick at the thought that I’m already starting to lie to Raphael.
I’ll be there. See you soon.
I’m running late again, but this time it’s seriously not on purpose.
I had the best intentions of showing up to this bar early, but the pricks at the front door wouldn’t let me in, not even with my fake ID. I argued with them for a solid ten minutes before looking for a back entrance. And of-freaking-course, now it’s raining too.
It’s only a light rainfall, nothing unusual for this time of the year, but my makeup’s already running and my hair is a mess. My three hours getting ready have been in vain.
Now, I’m standing on the pavement in front of the bar. The bouncers can’t tell me not to be here, as I’ve hissed at them a few times. But that doesn’t stop them from trying.
I’m still waiting for the guy – how the hell am I supposed to recognize him, anyway? – when I hear a familiar voice calling my name.
“Willa?”
I look up through the rain, my blood instantly going cold as it runs through my veins. I see his face then for the first time in years. He looks older than he used to, with a complexion that’s just as tan is it always was. His hair is mostly gray now, but his cold, hard blue eyes are exactly the same.
“D-Davis?”
He smirks, drinking in my sorry form on the pavement. “You’d better come inside for a drink with me, Willa.”
I don’t want to obey him.
Years ago, I swore to myself I would never do that again, no matter what he threatened me with. There’s nothing Davis Roanoke can threaten me with to make me obey him. Mom’s dead now. He can’t use her against me anymore.