DYLANDespite the pleas raging in my skull and begging for me to stop, I refuse to let go of Jenna. My shock had been too many levels too high after Ethan introduced her as his daughter, and now, having her stand so close to me is doing so many things to my head.My hands go around her waist, and I drop my head down to graze my lips against her ear. She shivers at the words that leave my mouth, but that's the least one of our problems. "I thought I heard your voice. What is going on here?"I refrain from dropping my hand to quickly from her daughter's back. Instead, I raise my eyes to hers and flash a dazzling smile. "Dian, I didn't think you would still be up." I let my fingers relax and push Jenna softly away from myself. "Is your daughter always so clumsy? Or is it just an effect of being new to the working class?" I tease.Ethan's wife, Dian, smiles and visibly relaxes. "I guess she's so young and used to being fended for that she has a hard time getting used to the working envir
My life is always difficult, but never uninteresting.I wrap the scarf tighter around my neck and shuffle along under the pouring rain. A crackle of thunder blares overhead, nature's blatant mockery of my miserable experience. My ears pick up the roar of a motorcycle mere seconds before my bag is snatched off my shoulders and the two-wheeled vehicle zooms past."Hey! Stop!" I scream at the top of my lungs and barrel after them with my arms flailing above my head. "Give that back!"I don't register the puddle in front of me, not until I'm slipping in it and landing with my ass on the wet concrete. "Ow." I cry. That would most definitely leave a bruise. Involuntarily, tears start to travel down my face, pouring alongside the rain to accentuate the ugliness of today. I lower my face into my palms and shake with the force of my sobs, sniffing loud enough to block out the sound of everything else.Curse this day! Curse my miserable existence!My life has been moving in such a downward t
JENNAMy mind skips several beats after Mr. Jackson turns his very unwanted attention in my direction. My brain struggles to come up with a befitting response to help get us out of the gossiping mess we've found ourselves in thanks to Kim's unwillingness to quit interrogating me.I clear my throat and fix him with my most serious expression. "Well, as much as I'd love to share the ideas I already have as a market researcher, it is imperative that I get an insight into the possible cause in profit decline." I turn to face Kim then and arch a brow at her. "Is this profit decline a result of a decrease in sales, or an increase in cost. Or is it a result of the combination of both."By the time I turn back to face Mr. Jackson, his face is covered in a pleased expression. "Very well." He nods at me. "It appears that you have a deeper understanding of marketing strategies than I originally thought. Wrap this up quickly, and if you do it well enough, I just might put in a good word for both
For me, it was your perceptiveness. You could somehow always see beyond whatever facade I put on.My life has been moving in such a downward trajectory that even I cannot be so surprised when something bad happens.I went from being excited over the idea of paying up the last of my student loans, to having said money donated to the hospital to keep my brother alive. Then asking for even bigger loans to cover the payment for his surgery, getting a disgusting offer to sell my body to my boss to keep myself, Duran and grandma afloat; and ultimately losing my job because some rich jerk decided to buy the commercial building the diner was located in. "What are you going to do now? It's so crazy to even think about the fact that you're jobless at a time like this. Keeping them going was already difficult with the job, imagine how much harder it would be without it.""Wow. I couldn't have thought about all that myself and made me feel worse. Great job, Anna."Don't get me wrong, I love Anna
"Did you hear about it yet?" Diana asks as I walk beside her toward the cafeteria. "Hear what?" I ask, casting her a confused glance.Just then a couple girls standing in front of their lockers point in my direction and snicker. "I don't think it's true though, but the gist that's been going around all day is that..."She doesn't even get the chance to finish the sentence before two of Cat's friends walk up to us, intercepting and blocking our path."How does it feel to finally be put in your place, freak?" Tatiana, the one with long blonde hair and pouty lips snaps.I stare up at them in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"Elena, the friend with black hair and beautiful blue eyes, joins up in the conversation. "To think that you've been thinking of yourself as up to our level." She clicks her tongue. "Now that Dustin has opened his eyes and gone after a woman who's deserving of him, I hope you'd stay out of the way."I don't understand a single word of what is being said, but I don't eve
Just when I thought that my day couldn't get any worse, the gorgeous guy from last night shows up. Like I wasn't already distracted enough.I hurry out of the class at the first ring of the bell, my bag barely hanging on my shoulder as I rush in the direction of the cafeteria. I cannot afford to be in the same space as him for even a second longer. I just cannot."Hey. Hey." A strong arm falls on my shoulder and forces me to turn around and face him. "Are you running awway from me!"Shit. "No, of course not. I'm just really hungry and stuff," I lie.A smile graces his lips. "We both know that's not true.""Why would I lie? I really am hungry. I didn't have the chance to catch breakfast because... you know?" My cheeks heat up at the reminder of our activities from last night."Okay. If that's the case, then let me accompany you. We can have lunch together and get to know each other better." He challenges."We know each other enough if you ask me," I grumble as I start walking in the di
My life has been moving in such a downward trajectory that even I cannot be so surprised when something bad happens.I went from being excited over the idea of paying up the last of my student loans, to having said money donated to the hospital to keep my brother alive. Then asking for even bigger loans to cover the payment for his surgery, getting a disgusting offer to sell my body to my boss to keep myself, Duran and grandma afloat; and ultimately losing my job because some rich jerk decided to buy the commercial building the diner was located in. "What are you going to do now? It's so crazy to even think about the fact that you're jobless at a time like this. Keeping them going was already difficult with the job, imagine how much harder it would be without it.""Wow. I couldn't have thought about all that myself and made me feel worse. Great job, Anna."Don't get me wrong, I love Anna; and she means well. But she just doesn't know when to take a breather and hold back on the messa
I heard the one thing I never thought I would at my own sister's wedding, and that was gunshots. Loud, precise and lethal.Dariole dropped to the floor with a gaping hole in the center of his head and Lajla gave a scream that was part pain and part hurt.My eyes, just before they began a quick scan of our surroundings, picked up on the moment rage won over anything else that she was feeling. She hitched her skirt up in the next instant, unstrapping a gun from her thigh and shooting into the air just before she pounced after the shooting men.They fell like swatted flies, the shooting popped as we all exchanged bullets, some with the need to protect, and others with the mere need to escape.You might be wondering how we got here? Well, let me take you through this story from the very beginning.My sister was dressed as a prim and proper lady. What a shock. I stared on with glistening eyes as she trudged down the aisle on the arm of one of our most trusted employees and Dad's second in