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Chapter 17
Another Mill
Chloe
I lift my lids and sense something is different about the room. My fingertips meet the cool sheets beside me. I know what’s missing right away.
I shouldn’t feel so disappointed that he’s gone. It makes me think of something my mother once told me when I was younger. You always crave the source of your greatest pain.
It’s as if you want to show it you can survive it. Sometimes you want to prove to yourself that you can change its outcome. Most times you’re just drawn to the high of the pain itself.
When it comes to Brodi, I haven’t figured out which category I fall into. I want to hate him for the rest of my life, but he’s not making that easy. They say actions speak louder than words.
In this case, they do. I hear everything he has told me. I’m listening to the words, saving them for when I’m ready to dissect them. However, it’s his actions that are pulling at my attention.
Brodi is so much bigger than me, but he let me attack him. I know he allowed it. The man I remember from the past wouldn’t even allow me to so much as curse in his direction.
However, he stood there and took that ass whipping. I saw the anger in his eyes. I know he could have stopped me if he wanted. Yet, he didn’t.
He has taken care of me when I couldn’t care to do it for myself. If I’m honest, it felt good to have that. After what I had to do all those years ago, I didn’t have an ounce of that same support. I needed it. I just didn’t have it.
Still, I’m so afraid of allowing myself to trust him. That’s something he has to earn, and it won’t be easy. I can see myself on the next episode of Snapped if he ever hurts me again.
Then don’t give him a chance to.
My cell phone rings. I look around and find it on the nightstand charging. Brodi must have put it there. I’ve been so out of touch with the world.
I go to answer, but I don’t know the number. I think for a few seconds on whether or not I want to pick up. Ally comes to mind, causing me to swipe and place the phone to my ear.
“Hello.”
“Is this Ms. Sinclair?”
“Yes, it is,” I say cautiously.
“I was instructed to contact you by Mr. Hennessy. Your accounts have been released, but your million dollars is pending delivery. I’ve set up a trust to provide you access to the funds as early as tomorrow,” he says.
My heart sinks. So I can’t trust Brodi. He has given up already. I wasn’t supposed to get that money until the end of the six months.
Coward.
He couldn’t even face me this time. Having someone else call to do his dirty work. Fuck him. I don’t need him or his money.
“You can tell Mr. Hennessy to—”
“Why don’t you tell me?” Brodi’s sleep-roughened voice booms.
I turn to find him in the doorway with two mugs in his hands. His chiseled chest on display. A pair of pajama pants are hanging on to his hips for dear life. He looks good for his age.
Not worth it, Chloe.
“Thank you for the call,” I say into the phone and hang up.
“What were you going to tell me?” he asks, lifting a brow.
“I thought… nothing,” I mumble.
“Yes, you were supposed to receive the money at the end of the contract. But as I promised last night. I’ll do my best to let you go. If that’s what you want,” he says, walking over to hand me a mug.
