My lungs burned for air, as did my muscles. But I didn’t stop or slow as I worked to hold onto that feeling for a bit longer…the high I hadn’t felt in ages. The feeling that tells you the entire world has changed.
It was that moment in time that I knew I’d never be the same again. My addiction had made itself known. The only questions were: how long could I resist? Was I bound to crash and burn? Instead of dreading it, I was planning for it.
And that had to fucking mean something really goddamn dangerous.
FIFTEEN
SASHA
It felt like Roman had been working even harder to stay away from me, his daughter, or both. He didn’t come home often, and he rarely answered his phone. The most I could get out of him was one-word replies to whatever text I’d sent him.
Are you coming home for dinner?No.
Are you coming home tonight?No.
Your daughter is asking for you.
Nothing.
Outside of my nanny position, life was great. My grades were good, I was making friends, and I even found myself enjoying school. But one thing always stayed the same. I had to go back to Roman’s every evening, and he was determined to make my life as miserable as possible. I had even thought about trying to find some way to get out of the contract I’d signed, but I always ended up dismissing that thought. I wasn’t there for the same reasons I’d take any other job. It wasn’t about the money. I took that job so I could be with my niece. There was no way I’d ever be able to turn my back on her. After spending so much time building a relationship with her, I couldn’t walk out. She needed me, and if I was being honest, I needed her too. Roman, on the other hand, I wished he’d get his shit together.
My phone went off as I was standing at the kitchen sink. I pulled it out of my back pocket to see Lance’s name on the screen.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked when I put the phone to my ear.
“Hey, where are you?”
“I’m at home. Why?”
“Tell me you’re coming out tonight,” he all but pleaded.
I rolled my eyes as I moved the phone between my ear and shoulder, my hands going back to drying the glass with a towel. “Going out where?”
“You mean you haven’t talked to Parker yet?”
“Nope, haven’t heard from her. What’s up?”
“That’s the last fucking time I’ll trust her with a message,” he muttered.
“What message?” I asked a little louder as my annoyance took over.
“The club,” he said, as if I should have known what he was talking about.
“Oh, I’m not big on clubs,” I started to say, but he cut me off.
“No, you have to come tonight. Trevor won six VIP passes to one of the hottest clubs in town. I mean, celebrities have been known to hang out there while they’re in town. You have to go.”
I snorted and reached for the phone as my neck started to cramp. I put the glass into the cabinet and turned to lean against the counter. I crossed one arm over my chest.
“Why do I have to go? I don’t really do the whole drinking, dancing, clubbing thing.”
He groaned, and I imagined him rolling his eyes. “How many times are you going to get the chance to meet some big-name actor or some crazy, talented musician?”
I chuckled. “There’s no guarantee that I’ll see either of those there.”
“Yeah, but you’ll have a better chance than running into one of them at your place,” he threw back.
I snorted in disbelief. I never thought he’d outsmart me, but he had. “Good point.”
