Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“I’m tired of pretending. You know I know. And I know you know.” The corner of his mouth turns up in a half smile and the tiny bit of fear that was still in my heart fades away completely.
I didn’t realize how good it could feel to have this all out in the open. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No, no apologizing.” He shakes his head to cut me off. “Not when you’ve given me this gift: the sight of you dripping with my release and diamonds. You’ve given me everything, baby girl. Never say you’re sorry for that.”
“I need to tell you everything.”
“Shh,” he says, his lips brushing against mine. “I know all of it and you’re still mine.”
The truth in his words is unmistakable and I think in that moment I give him the last piece of my soul.
“Sir!” A banging sound jolts me from our post-orgasm paradise.
“Fuck.” Phillip steps back and grabs his pants before pulling them on. When he finds his phone, I see a bunch of missed calls and texts.
“Is something wrong?” I ask while watching Phillip takes off his dress shirt and put it on me.
“It has to be important. David wouldn’t bang on my door unless something was wrong. Put these back on.” He holds out my panties, and I take them from his hand.
Phillip strides toward the entryway without a shirt on and glances back at me to make sure I’m covered. With a quick nod, he yanks the door wide open.
“What’s going on?” he demands, and the man I’m guessing is David flicks his eyes toward me.
“Maybe we should step into your office,” David suggests.
I get the sense this has something to do with me, so I decide to speak up. “Is this about me?” I ask, but David doesn’t respond.
“Answer her,” Phillip tells him.
“Yes.”
“Oh gosh. She found me, didn’t she?” I ask, fear slicing through my heart.
“I wouldn't say that,” David says but doesn’t elaborate.
“Who’s found her? What is it?” Now Phillip is getting worked up.
“Let me show you.” David heads into the open living room and grabs a tablet to turn the TV on.
My face is on the television with a bar below it that says “missing person.” I can’t believe my mother went to the police. That’s her number one rule. No police ever. She must be desperate.
I listen to the news reporter warn others to approach me with caution. That I’ve been in and out of psychiatric hospitals and I could be a danger. Heat blooms in my cheeks as embarrassment takes over. Then tears fill my eyes. Both Phillip and David turn to stare my way, and I fight not to cry or show any emotion.
“I...ah...haven’t been to one in a while,” I say, because it’s the best response I have.
She only sent me to them wherever I tried to escape. When I got caught, I would throw a fit and be unable to control myself. My mom would have her doctor institutionalize me, telling them I was having an episode. I wondered at times if she was right. What if I am crazy and that’s why I have to be locked away from the rest of the world? I suppose a crazy person probably doesn’t know they’re crazy.
David’s eyes narrow on me like I might attack them. Then I see my mother come on the screen, and she’s crying. When she says my name, it snags both of their attention, and before I can even think of what I’m doing I grab my shoes and purse off the floor and creep toward the doorway.
I slowly open it, but it must make a noise because Phillip shouts my name. I ignore him and bolt out the door before he can stop me. He has a private elevator, so when I hit the button it slides open instantly and I rush inside. Over and over I hit the close button, knowing Phillip is running to catch me.
“Audrey!” I hear him bellow half a second before he appears and the doors close. I put my shoes on while the elevator descends, knowing I’m going to have to make a run for it when the doors open again.
I’m not going back to my mother.
Ever.
Chapter Fourteen
PHILLIP
“Goddamn it!” I cry out as I hit the elevator doors with my fist. “Get it back.” I turn in time to see David shaking his head.
“It’s too late.” He looks at the emergency door to the right where the stairs are, but we’re too many floors up for it to be faster.
“I want someone downstairs on the ground. NOW,” I order, and David pulls out his phone. “Get security to stop her before she does something stupid like run out into traffic.”
I’m already thinking about how I found her and how that might have been the very reason she was running to begin with. Enough of this charade, enough of the half-truths. I’m ready to put an end to this.