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“I know.” I sigh. I give his hand a light squeeze. “But I appreciate you guys for not giving up on me.”
“Well, can you start showing that appreciation by getting me something to drink?” He clears his throat. “That pain medicine has really dried my mouth out.”
I look around but don’t see anything in his room. “Sure, I’ll go find something,” I say. “Anything in particular?”
“Coffee, if they have it.”
I walk over to the nurse’s station and ask for directions to the vending machine, only to be directed back out to the waiting area. I find the vending machine area and see a machine that dispenses both coffee and hot chocolate for visitors, so I grab a cup for the both of us. Right when I round the corner onto the hall Talon’s room is on, I spot the one person I never wanted to see again.
My breaths come in fast as I take slow steps backward. Mr. Steele stands in the hallway talking with a nurse, listening intently and nodding to whatever she’s saying. All of the memories of him flood my brain all at once and everything in me screams at me to run. He looks like he did when I was younger, aside from his hair being more gray, but with the fear coursing through my veins, he may as well have been the devil.He looks away briefly and spots me, recognition and surprise filling his face when he realizes who I am.
I quickly toss the cups of coffee into a nearby trashcan and make a beeline for the door. I have to get out of here before he tries to come after me for one reason or another. Hot tears burn my eyes, but I keep moving, only stopping when Tristan materializes in front of me.
“Where are you going?” He studies my face and frowns. “What’s wrong?”
“I have to go,” I mumble, but he stops me from leaving. “Can you let go of me?”
He keeps his hold on me and leads me out of the ER. When we’re a few feet from the door, he finally lets go. “Is it Talon? What’s wrong with you?”
“Talon is fine. I just have to go.”
“Why the hell won’t you ever tell me what your problem is?”
“Because you wouldn’t believe me anyway!” I snap. “Just leave me alone. I’ll stay away from you guys, so you don’t have to worry about me anymore. Just stay away from me.”
“Here you go with this again.” Tristan huffs. “We literally just saved your life and now you’re back to acting like a basket case yet again.”
I know he’s not going to let me go without some kind of fight, so I say the one thing I know will really set him off. “You want to know the reason why I left all those years ago?” I chuckle mirthlessly. “I left because all of you became so unbearable when your mom died, and I couldn’t stand to be around your grief and sadness. So I took the easy way out. There’s your answer. Now you can leave me alone for good.”
At first, he doesn’t say anything. His face slowly turns red, and he clenches his hands into fists and, for a second, I’m worried that he may hit me. The muscles in his jaw tick a couple of time before he releases a long breath.
“You have twenty-four hours to get out of the apartment,” he says, his voice low and even. “I want nothing to do with you anymore.” He walks away but pauses long enough to add, “Stay the fuck away from me and my brother. But that should be easy for you to do, since you’re so good at abandoning the only people who ever gave a fuck about you.”
I watch him disappear back into the hospital as the impact of his words sting my soul. With a reluctant sigh, I walk away from the hospital to the nearest bus stop and prepare to pick up the pieces of my life yet again.
CLEO
Just as quickly as it started, my dream has reverted back to a nightmare. Not only am I still recovering from Garrett’s assault. After the fight I had with Tristan a few days ago, I can’t bring myself to spend anymore of the money I’d gotten from them. I feel bad that I said those things to him, but I know he wouldn’t believe the truth. I can’t expect him to choose me over the man that raised him, his only living parent, with an accusation like that. I’d much rather have him hate me for eternity over a lie than to have him hate me for the truth that he refuses to believe. It’s probably better this way.
I’ve been stuck in a rundown motel since leaving the apartment, picking up odd jobs here and there to cover the fees for my room and basic needs while trying to find something more stable. Despite my best efforts, I’m right back at square one—broke and desperate.
Which is how I end up back at Purgatory.
“Let me get this straight…you want to return the money?” Lucian repeats slowly. I’m sure he probably thinks I’m nuts, and maybe I am. But it no longer feels right to have it. It’s not even the fact that I slept with Tristan and Talon that’s putting me off; it’s more so my own guilt getting the best of me. Every time I goto use the money, I think of them, and I’d rather not have them invading my mind anytime I see the money I earned from being with them.
“Yes,” I state.
Lucian rubs the back of his neck, confusion splashed across his face. “I apologize for my shock,” he starts. “I’ve just never had someone want to give back money for something they can’t get back.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” I shrug. “But I want a new encounter downstairs that’ll pay a lot.”
“Why not just keep the money you’ve made already?”
“I have my reasons,” I counter.
“You do know what happens downstairs, right?”
My stomach flips when I think of what I’d endured in Hell the last time I was down there. “Yes, I know.”
