I could at least leave my number. Maybe she realized her mistakes and wanted to reach out, but didn’t know where to find me. I wouldn’t be an accomplice to her ruining her life, but I wanted to be there if she ever needed help. Staying quiet, I pulled out my old key and eased inside. Cringing, I took in the ashtrays, needles, and lighters littering the coffee table.
This is a mistake. My subconscious screamed at me to turn around, that I was being as naive as Erik accused me of being, but I had to try. There was no harm in hoping. Moving quickly, I found a piece of paper and pen and wrote down my number, rushing to the bathroom to shove it in Leah’s makeup bag. Oscar would never be in there, but Leah was sure to see it.
I left the drawer open, hoping she’d notice what was off, and got out of there. I clung to the shadows until I made it to the streets, and then I ran. I even passed the first bus stop, heading to the next one, needing to put as much distance between me and that nightmare as I could.
The bus was just pulling up when I reached the stop and I got on. I took the drive to catch my breath, wondering if I just made the biggest mistake yet.
I jumped when my new phone vibrated across my desk next to Laura’s the next day.
“Still not used to it?” Laura asked, laughing at my reaction.
“Not really.”
It’d been three days and I’d barely done anything with it. Jared helped me add music yesterday. He’d stared at me in wonder when I told him I barely knew how to turn it on.
“Leave it to Erik to find someone to work at a tech company that doesn’t know how to use an iPhone.”
I laughed. “Hey, at least I know how to use a computer.”
The phone vibrated again with a reminder that I still hadn’t checked the notification. I swiped it open and thought I might crush it in my grip when I read the message.
Mr_E: Grab me a coffee.
No please. No asking. Just a command like it was a foregone conclusion that I’d be a coffee girl. I’d seriously considered dropping the damn thing in the trash or giving it to a homeless person.
But I couldn’t ditch it because now I needed it in case Leah called.
I hadn’t heard from her yet, but I figured it was only a matter of time. Leah had been the eighteen-year-old to claim me when Mom died, but I’d been the one to really take care of us.
I thought about telling Erik I’d gone back to the trailer, but it was messages like the one he just sent that kept me from sharing anything beyond what I needed to. I deleted the message because it irritated me to see the list of commands, before heading to the lunchroom to grab Master his coffee. I was watching the black liquid drip from the machine when a deep voice interrupted my internal debate of whether to put eye drops in Erik’s coffee or not.
“Hey, new girl.”
I turned to say hello and stalled, the words frozen on my tongue. Holy hotness. The guy standing on the other side of the table, currently giving me a lazy smile, was hot. Like Abercrombie and Fitch model hot.
“Um, hi.” Real smooth, Alexandra.
“I’m Wyatt.” He reached his hand across the table and I stepped forward to shake it. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel a jolt of excitement when we touched. Not like I did with Erik, which was kind of irritating because this guy should have been turning me into a bonfire. He had the styled, short on the sides-longer on the top, dirty blond hair and eyes like the sky on a sunny day. He’d obviously perfected his slight smile, making his eyes twinkle with ease and a hint of something devious.
Yet, instead of warmth, I only felt appreciation for an extraordinarily attractive guy and a minor thrill that he was aiming a smile at me. What girl didn’t like to feel like she could garner the attention of a guy that looked like him?
He raised an eyebrow and I realized I’d been silent too long. Crap.
“I’m Alexandra. But people have been calling me Alex for short.”
“Alex.”
A spark flickered hearing him try my name out on his tongue, that smirk still firmly in place. Maybe I’d dismissed him too soon.
“So, what do you do here, Wyatt?”
“I’ve been an intern here for two years. I graduate in the spring and then it’s on to an actual salary position.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“Yes, and no. A little terrifying. If I make a mistake now, I’m just learning. If I make a mistake later, then they tend to look at it differently.”