“It doesn’t say.”
I stomp my feet. My chest aches and my face heats. “So I won’t be able to pay my bills? What kind of crap is this?”
“I’m so sorry. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No, thanks,” I say.
“Thank you for calling Northbridge Bank; have a blessed day.”
The line goes dead.
I rush out of the café, stride to the financial aid office, and speak to the lady at the desk.
“I’m sorry, Lilac, but if you don’t pay your tuition and your rent, you will be dismissed from the school.”
“How long do I have?”
“We usually give a week, but because you’ve never missed a payment before, I can extend it for you for an extra five days.”
“Thank you.”
At home, I glance around my condo. I’ve built a home here on campus, but my new life is slowly sinking like quicksand. I’ve never had fraud detection before. Did someone steal my information?
“What am I going to do?”
This is bullshit.
This breaks the camel’s back. My hands tremble as I throw my things into boxes. First my blackout, and now this. I don’t want to call on any of my friends for help, because I don’t know if I can pay them back. Fat, hot tears drip down my face, and I hyperventilate.
Irvin strides into the living room with a bag of food, waving it in front of my face.
“Sorry I’m late. I had a meeting at the club.”
I slap my palm across my face—I totally forgot we were supposed to have lunch today.
His eyes widen as he brushes my tears away. “Princess? What’s wrong?”
Warmth spreads through me. “My bank accounts are frozen, so I can’t pay my rent or my tuition.”
I continue to slam stuff into the boxes. I have twelve days, and honestly, I don’t know where I’m going to get forty thousand dollars, plus rent—which is thirty-four hundred dollars a month. My money came from my inheritance after my birth parents’death, and it should have covered it. But I should have gotten a job.
Irvin snatches the box from my hand, sets it down on the carpet, and strokes my shoulders.
“Breathe, princess. Breathe deeply.”
“I have only fifteen hundred in cash, and I need a hotel when my time runs out.”
Irvin tilts my chin. “I’ll give you the money.”
My eyes widen, and a surge of hope sparks through me. “W-what?”
“How much do you need?”
I shake my head and frown. “No. I’m not accepting money from you.”
“I’m not leaving my girlfriend homeless. I’ll pay your rent and tuition.”
I step back and press my hand against his hard chest. “No, Irvin. You’re not giving me free money.”
