My mind needs a bit to process what he just said, then the thoughts start to spiral. The club pays well, and I need the money if I want to save for the three of us. I guess I could live on much less and focus on Marina and Faye instead. Faye needs nutritional food to stay healthy, and she needs to be allowed to be a child without having to worry constantly. Bad enough I have to drag her around the country, and that she has to see her mother the way she is.
“Elsa?” My boss pushes.
“Can I think about it for a bit?” I ask. I don’t want to decline his offer immediately, well aware that it may get me fired if I do.
I think of the group of regulars who drop by here and usually want me to serve them. I feel sleazy enough for flirting with them in my job as a waitress; being an escort would certainly push that to a new level. I would be fulfilling their fantasy. On the plus side, I could earn enough money for Marina, Faye and me to build a new life for us when Amelia finds us a pack. It means I could leave Faye with the remainder of the money Maddox gave me and add some more to it. It would certainly help with Marina, too.
As for me, I would be able to have a bit of a backup to start anew somewhere else. I doubt I will find a place in a pack. The moment I know Marina and Faye are safe, I will need to find a place for myself and my own path.
The housesitting barely covers the bills, and the little jobs I do for the neighbors only add a little to my income. There still is Maddox’s money, but I used parts of it already for giving us a head start. She is so little, yet has gone through so much already.
I really don’t want to do it. Part of me is scared that if I cross this line, I will also cross the next… and the one after.
But how many options do I truly have right now?
Later, when I finish my shift, I decide to walk back home to feel the soft, summer breeze on my skin and smell the salty air. I need to go down to the shore one of the coming days, if only to calm my racing thoughts.
A sudden chill goes through my body, making me stop.
What was that?
I felt it a couple of days ago, and now again.
A quacking pulls me out of my thoughts and brings my attention back to the path ahead of me. There, right in front of the door to my house, is a duck. The moment it spots me, it quacks again and starts to waddle towards me.
“No, seriously,” I mutter. “Where do you all come from?”
fifteen
Alive
*FELIX*
“Do you need any help?” Charlie asks me for the umpteenth time.
“No thanks,” I grin. “You and Dario just make it worse. Keep some water and food ready for me, but other than that, I am better off doing this on my own.”
We have travelled through several places so far, and even stopped in a pack where one of our former school friends is currently living. His alpha was happy to invite us to stay a couple of days, which gave us a chance to wash our clothes and stock up on necessities again. Now we are driving along the coastal road –a part of the country we don’t see a lot, as Silverlake is not near the sea.
“Start the engine again,” I call towards Dario.
He does as I tell him. The car jolts slightly but then stills. “Hm.” I bend my head over the engine and cylinder block again, trying a few more tricks I learned, from watching videos whenever I felt annoyed about the lack of progress with my studying.
“Again,” I say.
This time, when Dario starts the engine, it runs smoothly. I close the hood again and take the bottle of water Charlie hands me. “Thank you,” I beam.
“No, thank you!” she exclaims.
“For real.” Dario peeks out of the window on the driver’s side. “That was amazing, Felix. I had no idea you could do that.”
Charlie and I get back into the car, with Charlie leaving the passenger’s seat to me. “Me neither,” I admit.
“Wait, is this the first time you worked on a car?” Charlie asks.
“Yeah. I just love watching DIY repairs,” I admit. “It’s a guilty pleasure. And I've watched some about cars and bikes.”
Dario sends me a sideways glance and smiles. “That’s a real talent.”
