He grabs my arm and sighs, his dark eyes levelling on mine.
“You know I care about you, Clo. More than anything else in the world. I’m just…” He sighs again, his emotions getting the better of him. “There’s so much that can go wrong here, without you adding more things into the mix.”
“Everything is fine,” I promise him. I lean over and kiss him softly on the cheek, giving him my most convincing smile. “I called yesterday and changed today’s appointment to next week. He must not have told his receptionist. He was fine with it, I promise.”
Jake doesn’t look convinced but I pretend not to notice and snuggle up against him, the warmth radiating from his body soothing me. I lay back against the bed and close my eyes. My head pounds so hard I wonder if it’s actually possible for my skull to explode with all the building pressure. I know there will be repercussions for missing my therapy session, but that’s the least of my problems at the moment.
I’m trapped.
There’s no way out of this.
Marissa has me caught and if I don’t do what she says, she’ll make my life a living hell. Well, more of a living hell than it already is, anyway. Her help came at a price I never could have imagined, and I have to wonder if she’s going to change the rules again and again until she gets what she wants. What if it never ends? What if I’m forever in her debt with this hanging over my head?
I have to get pregnant with Sam’s baby.
It’s the only way I’ll get the money I’ve worked so hard to earn.
It’s the only way that everything I’ve already done becomes worthwhile.
CHAPTER15
SAM
My gaze keeps straying to Chloe’s empty seat. The rest of the class, silently focused on their test, pay me no mind as I focus on her chair as if I can make her appear out of thin air simply by staring at her spot.
It’s Monday morning; over a week since I saw her last.
In fact, I haven’t heard from her since our last…encounter, since she broke into my house and proved she can get to my daughter. She hasn’t been in her classes. I haven’t heard a single word from her. No messages or calls.
Nothing.
Maybe I should be relieved she seems to have given up ruining my life, but I’m not. I’m worried about her. I’m worriedforher. What if I hurt her? Maybe I was too rough, but she seemed to like it.Isure liked it. Much more than I should have.
Frowning, I lean back and try to focus on anything other than Chloe, but as my thoughts keep circling around her, my attention slips back to her hauntingly empty chair. Any moment now, I hope she’ll walk through that door with an evil smile just for me, promising hell. And with every passing moment, I become more and more aware that not only is she not going to come walking through that door, but how much I want to see her. In some fucked-up way, Ineedher. She’s all I can fucking think about. Contemplating sending her a text, I pull my phone out of my pocket, just in time to see Lucas sneer at me.
“I thought we weren’t allowed to have phones in class, Mr. Reed?”
The barely contained disrespect in his voice earns hisses and gasps as the room holds their breath and pretend to be invisible. A couple of his friends chuckle and offer high fives, but I stare him down. I’m in no fucking mood to put up with his bullshit.
“Detention,” I bark at him.
“For what?” he protests, glaring at me in surprise. “I was just messing around. This is bullshit.”
“Now you’re suspended.” I glower at him, my blood nearing boiling point as it pumps through my veins. I know I’m way out of line, but all I can think about is the way he was looking at her when he asked her to that party. I could see how much he wanted to fuck her, to shove his measly little dick inside her perfect, tight pussy.Mypussy. And then she was nearly hurt at a partyhewas fucking responsible for. He should have been looking out for her, instead he let that happen? I snort. He’s lucky I’m not standing over his desk ripping his fucking pretty boy head off.
“But, Mr. Reed—”
“Would you like to keep pushing me, Mr. Sinclair?” I interrupt. “I’m sure we can work our way up to expulsion.”
“No,” he finally mutters.
He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, glancing at his friends as if searching for support but the entire class is too stunned to react. No sooner than the bell rings signalling the end of class, the students scatter. Less than five minutes later, my name blares over the loudspeaker.
Fuck.
I snap my suitcase closed, and then walk out. I already know this will be about Lucas. I’m sure the first thing he did when he left my class was call Daddy.
* * *