“Well, we went to the pub after the game for dinner and a couple drinks-“
“Well, that explains this messy version of my best friend.”
“Hush, anyway. They told me that both of them want to date me. Together. As in some straight outta romance novel shit.”
“And…you said what?” I can feel my eyebrows crawl into my hairline, just waiting for her to answer me.
“Umm, Kyra, were you in my house today?” That is such a strange question to ask me.
“No, I wasn’t. But that’s not important right now.”Goodness woman, get to the point.
I finally get her back on track, and she wraps up her story. I encourage her to mix up some liquid IV before going to bed. We hang up, and I quietly go back to the bedroom.
“Where the fuck did you go?” His voice rips through the darkness, causing fear to course through my veins.
“Nyx needed to talk.” I keep it short and sweet, hoping to just climb back into bed. Lifting the blankets and easing myself back into the bed.
“That bitch always needs you for something. Give me your phone. I’ll take care of the problem.” He reaches over me to try to snatch my phone off the table.
“No!” I slide my phone under my body to keep him from getting to it.
“I am going to block that girl's number. You don’t need a woman like that in your life.” His anger is palpable, and I need to make a decision. Either face his wrath or give in and just unblock her in the morning.
Unlocking the device, I hand it over to him. I make the tough choice to give in to his aggression to save myself the pain. He works quickly to block Nyx’s number on my phone before throwing it back at me. The phone hits me in the cheek, sending a sharp sting, causing my eyes to water instantly.
“There, now go back to sleep.” He rolls over to face the wall opposite me, and in a few short minutes, I can hear his soft snores.
Placing my phone on the nightstand quietly and curling up under the blanket, I try to keep the tears at bay. One day I’ll be able to leave. One day, I’ll have a man who loves me. I feel a few tears escape my eyes. Closing my eyes, I force myself to fall back asleep.
My alarm starts blaring out of my phone the next morning. Chernobyl is melting down, I swear. Rolling over, I swipe at my phone screen, trying to silence the offending noise. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and take one big stretch. Arms reaching above my head while I also stretchmy feet and legs as far down the bed as I can. My whole body feels stiff. It has to be from the stress and drama of Nyx’s call last night.
Remembering last night’s events, I unlock my phone and tap into the blocked numbers. Immediately, I unblock my best friend's number and shoot off a text.
Me: Hey Nyxie.
Me: Sorry if you messaged me last night. Mike blocked your number. Like that was going to stay blocked
Speaking of the asshole fiancé I have. I look around the room and notice he is no longer in bed with me. Running through my memory, did he have an early start to his workday? He sometimes has to head into work at the crack of dawn. I am not sure how he still has a job at this point, since he rarely actuallygoes into work. It helps when your family owns the business, I guess.
Climbing out of bed. Time to start yet another day in the life of me. I hope Nyx is not hurting too badly this morning, and I cannot wait to hear more about these men who have taken over her life. Maybe one day I’ll be excited about a man again. I just need to get the strength to leave Mike, and the damn money.
Who are you kidding? You will be stuck forever.
CHAPTER 3
KYRA
HALLOWEEN NIGHT
The house is quiet except for the music playing from the Bluetooth speaker in my bathroom. Mike is up north for the week; it’s always a nice reprieve when he decides he needs to be out in the woods or on a stream in the middle of nowhere. There is minimal contact while he is gone because the cell service is practically nonexistent.
Climbing out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my body. It’s Halloween, and Nyx is going to a little get-together with her men, so I am tagging along. I get bestie time and out of the house for the night, and dipshit will never know. It will be a nice little break from life. The plus side is that I get to meet these men she has been gushing over.
I stand in front of the mirror, taking in my appearance. My dirty blonde hair hangs just above my shoulders. The sun-kissed look is fading from my cheeks, making way for the paleness of winter. My green eyes look sad lately. The sparkle is missing from them. Removing my towel, I see some lingering handprint bruises. Most of them have healed, but some yellowing remains.I would never consider myself fat, but I am definitely soft and squishy. I need to make more time for the gym.
I run my brush through my locks and spray some coconut-scented dry shampoo. Straightening the few pieces that got weird in the night. I smooth a few flyaways with hairspray before grabbing my small makeup bag out of the cupboard. Once I find my foundation, I blend it into my skin to help hide the bags under my eyes. I continue to do my makeup, making sure I look like the lively, happy Kyra that Nyx knows and loves.
I add a few finishing touches and put my mask firmly in place before putting on some clothes. Walking back into the bedroom, I spot the perfect little sweater dress hanging in my closet. It is a dusty rose color with a deep V in the front to show the perfect amount of cleavage. I’m not trying to impress anyone but myself. I just want to feel sexy for once. To feel like the Kyra who met Mike at the bar all those years ago. Slipping the soft material over my head and adjusting the girls, I take a peek in the mirror.
