The fairy tale was over.
Chapter Thirteen
The first night backin her bed, she cried herself to sleep.In the morning, her eyes were red rimmed and puffy.Mrs.Winterson took one look at her and held open her arms.That broke her all over again and she lost herself in the warm hug.
She sat on the bus and stared blindly out, and all she thought about was Hades.His kiss, his touch, his smile.They were rare but when he did, his eyes lit up.Now, she could finally admit to herself that she had been falling for him.Retreating into her own head, she saw her future stretched out in shades of grey, nothing vibrant or exciting, and knew she couldn’t do this anymore.Why was she trying to eke out a sustainable living in a city that continually swallowed her up?No one would miss her, except for Betsy.Perhaps it was time to leave.Start somewhere new.Someplace where she could find a man who would love and respect her.Not treat her like a kept woman.
The parts of her heart where Hades had been residing started to wither, and she would learn how to paint him into corners to navigate around.He wasn’t her lover, or her friend.Nor was he a good man, so time to move on.She would start researching where to go.Maybe research jobs and what was out there.Pleased with her resolve, the day no longer seemed so bleak.
Betsy met her at the timeclock and reached for her hand.“Hey, what’s wrong?Is it your cheek?”
She shook her head.“Hades ...he, um, is done with me.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”
“He was going to give me a condo, so he could visit me.”
“What?That sounds like he wanted you for a, well, for easy accommodation.”
Cora would’ve laughed if she thought any of this was funny.
“I’m here if you need me,” Betsy told her.“In fact, why don’t you come home with me tonight?We can eat ice cream and watchKill Bill: Volume 2, because that’s when she kills the asshole.”
“Okay.”
Without Ranelle and her gang, the day was actually nice.It was the first time in a long time that she didn’t dread her rounds.At the end of the day, she and Betsy punched out and walked to the employee parking area.A scraping sound caught their attention, and suddenly, Steven Harold appeared from the shadows.So focused on him, they didn’t see his accomplice until Ranelle hit Betsy over the head with a bat.
“No!”she cried, intending to go to Betsy’s crumpled form.Steven yanked on her arm and spun her around.
“Do whatever you want with me, but leave Betsy alone,” she cried.
“Oh, I will, bitch,” he snarled.Then his fist came fast and hard, and she lost consciousness.
****
Here he was, drinkingbourbon over a woman.Something he swore he’d never do.How did she sneak into all his waking thoughts?Wrap her tendrils around him so tightly that just the thought of losing her was driving him crazy?Driving him to drink.
