I wracked my brain for where I had heard the name and came up empty. “What can I help you with Mr. McClain.” I asked smoothly and raised my self up to touch the new, sturdier bed frame and mattress covered in a bedsheet I had never seen. “I am a representative of Luke Costner enterprise. You must I’ve seen us once or twice on tv. You probably watched Maria Delaine’s interview that broke the internet!” “Yeah I remember that.” He sounded like a very excited intern who was proud to be working in that office. “I don’t see what that has to do with me, though.” “Uhh, well my boss- the Luke Costner enterprise were hoping we could invite you for a one on one interview with the main man. “ he stumbled through the first half like he was surprised by my question but recovered, his pleasure returning back to his voice at the mention of Luke. “The Costner himself?” I asked, as I left the bedroom and peeked into the room next to it. Once empty, now it contained a bed, brighter and fresher l
“So you’ve gone on four dates with this guy?” Hannah asked as she sucked a tapioca ball through her straw. We were in a new shop across the street from our favorite store because that had been rented out for a birthday party. The condensation on her drink had formed a wet spot on her shirt that said ‘I might be wrong but it’s very unlikely.’ “Yeah. That’s minus the restaurant accident.” “Oh my god Myra, that’s over two weeks! Did you really keep this away from me for that long?!” I smiled impishly at her frowning face. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, I mean it’s still not a big deal.” I shrugged. “Yeah, it’s totally not a big deal that you’re moving on from Pierce.” She scoffed, but a smile spread across her face. “Wow. And you have another date with him after this?” Carter and I agreed to meet up after Hannah and I were done. “It’s not a big deal.” I repeated. “What’s he like?” I chewed my lip, “he’s a perfect gentleman, he makes me feels at ease, but al
“How is she now?” I asked, fear flooding my voice when I answered the call. “How is who?” Carter asked, I moved the phone away and confirmed that it was Carter, I had just been too distraught to check the caller Id “is everything fine?” He asked again. A strangled sound left my lips. “No. It’s not fine. I’m sorry, but I can’t make it to our date tonight, an emergency came up.” “What is it?” “My mum had an accident.” “Give me the address, I’ll meet you there.” He answered grimly. “No, you don’t have to-“ “I want to, Myra. Just turn your location on and I’ll track it.” I nodded frantically even though he could not see, and ended the call, turning my location on before I tossed my phone in my lap and stared out at the road in front of us. God let her be okay, I prayed. “She’ll be fine, Myra.” Hannah tried to soothe, but her foot never left the gas pedal. Hannah’s car slowed to a halt at the hospital and I rushed to the reception area. “Where is she?” The man behind
“You’re here finally.” Pierce growled in the darkness. “I’m sorry, my session went on a bit longer today because Sarah came in late.” I explained breathlessly, feeling around the wall for the light switch. I knew better than to keep him waiting. “Leave it. Come to me,” he commanded. I did as I was told, dropping my duffel bag to the floor as I ambled towards him. “Clothes .” My pulse quickened in my veins and I tugged off my cardigan, my pants, bra… then I stopped. I could tell he was in a bad mood, one that didn’t have anything to do with me being late. I shivered lightly in anticipation and waited for him to close the space between us. When he stood, he pressed my semi naked body to his fully clothed one and released my hair from its ponytail prison. “How was your day,” I asked tentatively, as he ran his fingers on my hips, tracing an invisible line to my waist. “I’ll show you.” He said, and picked me like I weighed nothing. Naturally my legs wrapped around him as he
“Shit!” Hannah yelled and caught the bottle before it reached the ground. I could not force a word of thanks to her, or peel my eyes away from her phone. It wasn’t the caption that got to me. When you are famous, unwarranted rumors tend to spread, especially when you’re more secretive. I had seen posts shipping me and fellow cast members, him and other members of high society, a few deep founded allegations about our relationship…so the tagline was nothing new. It wasn’t the headline that had me moving in a mindless gait to an empty folding chair, it was the picture…pictures! I discovered in horror, as I scrolled down the article.It was her. Pierce’s first love was with him in every photo, a big smile on her face. She was back and in his arms. Pierce seemed to be supporting her weight with his body while she clung to him like every breath in her body was fueled by his presence.I didn't need the caption to tell it's her because she looked like me. Or I should say, I looked like
Laughter bubbled in my throat when her words registered in my head. “Hannah, what on earth would I need this for? Put it away before someone walks in and assumes the same thing.” I dropped the packet on the bench between us like it had burned my hand. “I’m not kidding Myra. I know you wish I am, but I’m not. You’ve been sick for nearly a month, you stopped eating mango flavored chips even though they’re your second favorite food in the whole world, and your body, it’s changing…” “Jesus Christ Hannah, slow down with the sex talk. I’m not pregnant, okay? I can’t be. We’ve used protection every time we had sex.” “Every time?” “Yes!” I yelled and moved further away from her. The last thing both of us wanted was a child. I had an experience being raised in a dysfunctional family, and I would not do that to a kid. Plus my career had just started, what part of my life would a kid fit in. Pierce…well Pierce was Pierce. A kid out of wedlock was not up on his bingo cards. We were caref
Every emotion that battled for the frontline a second ago all trickled into one. My heart thumped in my chest as I watched Pierce speak with the doctor while she played with the edge of his suit. I began to feel lightheaded and took a step backwards. The simple movement seemed to draw Pierce attention because he turned and looked straight at me. I searched his eyes for…guilt? Pleasure? Any emotion that would let me know where we stood. The woman turned to him, then me, and soon, she was tugging Pierce towards me. I stood frozen, like a deer in headlights as the pair approached me, the doctor, forgotten. This was a good thing. Pierce would introduce us and later in life, we could laugh about how much I was panicking now. As they stopped directly opposite me, I peeled my eyes from Pierce and smiled at her. The first thing I noticed was how similar we both looked. It wasn't like we looked like twins, but the similarity was obvious enough to make me uncomfortable.I knew from t
My fingers hovered over my screen after I typed his name out. Saying goodbye to Pierce was not an easy feat to accomplish, yet this was the only way to go.Or am I supposed to ask him for an explanation? Begging him to not leave me? Just to further humiliate myself?I couldn't fool myself anymore. I wished I could wave a hand and make everything right for the three of us. I placed my hand on my flat stomach and sighed. I hated myself for all the times I let myself dream of a perfect life with Pierce. The life we could have with the child I was carrying if only he gave us a chance. Maybe it was best if we didn’t end things. I could wait for him to show up, we would talk it out and come to an agreement. I could not erase Pierce from my life completely. Even if I tried, and with the baby, and my finances…why did things have to get so complicated? I had to be brave. If not for me, then for the child I carried. They deserved to have a life filled with love and staying with Pierce wou
“How is she now?” I asked, fear flooding my voice when I answered the call. “How is who?” Carter asked, I moved the phone away and confirmed that it was Carter, I had just been too distraught to check the caller Id “is everything fine?” He asked again. A strangled sound left my lips. “No. It’s not fine. I’m sorry, but I can’t make it to our date tonight, an emergency came up.” “What is it?” “My mum had an accident.” “Give me the address, I’ll meet you there.” He answered grimly. “No, you don’t have to-“ “I want to, Myra. Just turn your location on and I’ll track it.” I nodded frantically even though he could not see, and ended the call, turning my location on before I tossed my phone in my lap and stared out at the road in front of us. God let her be okay, I prayed. “She’ll be fine, Myra.” Hannah tried to soothe, but her foot never left the gas pedal. Hannah’s car slowed to a halt at the hospital and I rushed to the reception area. “Where is she?” The man behind
“So you’ve gone on four dates with this guy?” Hannah asked as she sucked a tapioca ball through her straw. We were in a new shop across the street from our favorite store because that had been rented out for a birthday party. The condensation on her drink had formed a wet spot on her shirt that said ‘I might be wrong but it’s very unlikely.’ “Yeah. That’s minus the restaurant accident.” “Oh my god Myra, that’s over two weeks! Did you really keep this away from me for that long?!” I smiled impishly at her frowning face. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, I mean it’s still not a big deal.” I shrugged. “Yeah, it’s totally not a big deal that you’re moving on from Pierce.” She scoffed, but a smile spread across her face. “Wow. And you have another date with him after this?” Carter and I agreed to meet up after Hannah and I were done. “It’s not a big deal.” I repeated. “What’s he like?” I chewed my lip, “he’s a perfect gentleman, he makes me feels at ease, but al
I wracked my brain for where I had heard the name and came up empty. “What can I help you with Mr. McClain.” I asked smoothly and raised my self up to touch the new, sturdier bed frame and mattress covered in a bedsheet I had never seen. “I am a representative of Luke Costner enterprise. You must I’ve seen us once or twice on tv. You probably watched Maria Delaine’s interview that broke the internet!” “Yeah I remember that.” He sounded like a very excited intern who was proud to be working in that office. “I don’t see what that has to do with me, though.” “Uhh, well my boss- the Luke Costner enterprise were hoping we could invite you for a one on one interview with the main man. “ he stumbled through the first half like he was surprised by my question but recovered, his pleasure returning back to his voice at the mention of Luke. “The Costner himself?” I asked, as I left the bedroom and peeked into the room next to it. Once empty, now it contained a bed, brighter and fresher l
I smiled as I climbed up the stairs that led up to my apartment. Lunch with Carter hd been fun and had gone without incidence. Save for overspilling ketchup that one time, but it wasn’t a hundred dollar accident. God, why did I become so clumsy around him? Something about doing something perfectly well till someone else was watching you. And he did that a lot. It didn’t cause my heart to leap in my throat like it did with Pierce. But a blush always crept in. I was glad I had asked it out to eat. Made me feel triumph over Pierce and his hold on me. I raised the tiny rug in front of my door in search of my key where I had left for Pierce or his movers, and found nothing. I tried the the door, but it didn’t move.Did they lock my house and take the key?! My eyes widened as I realized that Pierce may have gone back on his word again. I tried the knob again and thumped the door lightly. Perhaps they were inside placing the furniture back together. “I am coming!” I heard a voice of a woma
I blinked wondering if those words had come from him or me. His hands wrapped over mine on his collar and pulled it higher, around his neck. “I can’t let you go.” He said, as he kissed down my jawline. “What do you mean you can’t?” I asked, as I pushed through the fog that wanted me to stop thinking, to surrender to the feeling of him being close to me. “I mean, I should. It’s better for both of us.” He pulled me closer, nearly lifting me off my feet as he pressed me against the door. “But I just can’t Myra, I think of you walking out of this office, walking out of my life and…it’s not happening.” “You promised.” My eyebrows furrowed and I pulled my head back to look at him. He smiled at me, running his finger over the spot his mouth had been. “You don’t want to walk out either, Myra.” “No, I-I do.” Liar. I shut my eyes to chase away the thoughts. I couldn’t do this to myself. So close to the end. When I opened them, my convictions were evident. “I do.” “And yet your a
The first second I felt dawn break the next morning, I slipped out of Seth’s house after dropping a note to say thankyou, and went into mine to take a shower. Then I spent the last day of my weekend in Hannah’s home who listed the many merits of accepting Pierce’s money.“You don’t have to convince me Hannah, I’m not saying No. That choice was taken away, and in exchange, Pierce will stop bothering me.” Everytime I answered that, she would look at me with a sad expression on her face and whenever I glared at her, she would raise her hands in the air. I tried to spend a little more time with Lily while I was there. Seth’s story reminding me just how valuable she was to me, but Lily was out most of the time, I figured she was still mad at me for not taking her to the new house. Monday came, and I marched into Pierce’s office building with false confidence . When was the last time I had been there? That was right, when I brought lunch for him as a thank you. Then, I had told him that I
I thought about my neighbors while dad was acting a tyrant over us. We tried to be quiet a lot. But a few times dad would yell. Or shove us too hard against the walls. Our neighbors said nothing, and avoided eye contact. “It’s easier to pretend.” I answered quietly, staring down at my twisting fingers. “True. I got tired of pretending. I got into a lot of fights as a kid.” He continued. “So I could pretend the welts on my body were from my scuffles, not from my father. Now I cover those scars with tattoos.”“What about the scars in your mind?” He slowed his chewing, “those ones, we just have to live with. You’re doing a good job of it.” I let out a laugh, ready to deny knowing what he wad talking about, but the knowing look he gave me told me there was no point. My shoulders sagged. “You think so?” “Oh yeah, movie star.” “You know?!” He chuckled, “I’ve seen a couple of your series while in prison. Was my warden’s favorite . Seeing your…friend, jogged my memory.” “I d
His eyes zeroed on Donna with the money outstretched. “What did Donna do?” “Why do you think I did anything?” She retorted, shoving the money back in her pocket while I looked around. I had to find a place to sleep tonight. “You’re offering money to someone else and her house is empty, you did something.” “Oh piss off.” “She helped Myra’s…uhh, pack a mattress and collected a bribe for keeping it a secret.” “I thought it was a prank!” “He took your stuff?” Seth asked me, his brows raised in surprise. “Yeah, he did. But I’ll get it back.” Maybe I could just lay on the floor? I didn’t check the bathroom yet so I didn’t know if he had taken the sheets too. “When?” “Monday? Tuesday maybe.” “Where are you going to sleep?” Layla asked, hitching her bag up her hip again. “Till monday, I can crash with a friend.” “Today?” Three pairs of eyes looked at me expectantly, and I shrugged. “A motel.” “There isn’t one nearby. Oh! Seth can drive you to the closest one thou
I blinked and looked at the numbers glued to the door. It was my house, that much was true. But it was empty. No brown couch, lemon side-table, my ginormous bean bag. Even the bohemian style rug that managed to pull the whole together was hone. Every single thing was missing from the living. Color drained off my face as I wondered what else was gone. I rushed into my room and looked around in search of Yvette’s box, sighing with relief when I found her on a dingle table in the middle of the room. Everything else was gone, save for the bed frame, and a wardrobe. There was a small note and cute little teddy bear beside her urn. I grabbed the note and read it. ‘Call me.’ I didn’t have to dial the number to know it was Pierce. Did he really rob me?! “Ah there you are!” A woman exclaimed excitedly beside me and I jumped in surprise, I didn’t even hear her come into the house. She had on the biggest t-shirt and basket ball short and was grinning from ear to ear at me. “Nice to me