“So what? That gives you the right to throw your fucking life away?”
“I threw my life away the moment I fell in love with you, Emmanuel. Someone I can’t ever have, not really. What do you expect me to do? Sit around and wait for the brief moments you come back to town?” she asks.
“It’s not always going to be like this,” I tell her.
“Yes, it is,” she says. “Or… we could run. Just you and me.”
“We can’t run.”
“We can. You have money. We can go anywhere. I can’t live this life, Emmanuel. I can’t be the girl in a different city, waiting for crumbs.”
Does she think it’s easy for me? I miss her like fucking crazy every fucking day. But I know that one day, things will change. I’m prepared to endure the hard times now, because she is worth it.
I’ve been in town for a week. I haven’t figured out a way to get Laura away. I need to find her a new identity, get her a one-way ticket and figure out how to tell her she needs to stay hidden until I can come for her. Which could be years.
The identity part I’ve got. I just picked up her new passport and papers. I’ve got her a credit card and a bit of cash that will tide her over for a bit. She’s a smart girl. She will figure out how to survive wherever she ends up.
“Why do you look like you’re about to drown a cat?” Louie asks.
“Who the fuck drowns a cat?” I throw back. “I gotta go see Laura. Catch you later.”
I’m fucking pissed that my friends missed the fact that Laura was getting her nose dirty. How the fuck did they not know? I’ve been with her as muchas possible over the last week and she’s been clean, as far as I can tell.
I get to Laura’s house and climb through her bedroom window. She’s not in here but the adjoining bathroom door is slightly ajar. So I walk over, push it open, and find her on the floor.
She looks at me and shifts her body to the side.What is she doing?
Then she rolls onto her back and closes her eyes.
“Laura? What? No!” I drop to my knees, pick up her head, and slap her cheeks. Her eyes blink open at me.
“E? You came back.” She smiles, her gaze unfocused.
“What did you do?” I ask her.
“What you couldn’t… I killed your weakness so you can become the greatest,” she says, her words slurred. “I love you.”
“What are you talking about? Laura, what the fuck did you take?” I look around the bathroom. That’s when I see the syringe sticking out of her right arm.
Just as I’m about to pull it out, her entire body shakes and foam bubbles out of her mouth.
“No!” I scream and hold her against me. “Don’t do this,” I tell her. “I have a plan!”
There’s no response, though. Instead, she goes limp in my arms.
I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here. But when I finally stand, with the lifeless body of the girl I love in my arms, I smile. “You wanted to create a monster, Papa? Now you have.”
I will become the monster he wants. I’ll become the monster who destroys him too.
Chapter One
“You look exhausted, Evie.” The concerned tone comes from my employee.
“Well, thanks. That’s just the look I was going for, Amy,tired. You know it’s trending, right?”
I quirk a manicured brow at her.
“I don’t mean to offend. Just… if you want to take off early, I can close up here.” She waves a hand around the store. It’s been a quiet but steady day.
