“Sophie, what do you want from Little Owl?” I shout to her from the cream sofa I’m lying down on while she opens my door to let Rose in.
Little Owl Coffee is this adorable coffee shop that I’ve been obsessed with recently.
“Surprise me,” Sophie replies as she and Rose walk over and sit on the dusty-blue tufted love seat across from me.
I text one of my admins who is making a coffee run for some of the staff today and have her pick up three coffees of any kind as long as it’s not straight black coffee.
She sends a quick reply. Yes, ma’am.
And I cringe at the formality, but I lock my phone and set it next to me.
A giggle coming from the love seat pulls my attention, and I can’t help the sharp twist of envy that spirals in my chest.
Sophie is sitting up straight with Rose leaning into her side. The smiles on their faces are of pure joy, pure happiness. And I swallow the lump in my throat because I might never have that again.
There’s only ever been one guy who has that effect on me, and that’s Callum. He can try all he wants to get me back, and he can keep trying to forgive me for “cheating” on him. But he doesn’t understand.
It’s not that I don’t want to be with him. It’s not that I don’t think I deserve happiness. Callum is a fixer. He sees what I’ve been through, and he wants to be the hero, like Prince Charming slaying the dragon that’s burning down a village. But life isn’t a fairy tale, and this girl needs no one’s saving. Sometimes, the dragon that needs to be slayed … is yourself.
“You all right?” Sophie asks, and I realize I let my thoughts show on my face.
“I’m great. What are you guys up to today?”
Sophie’s eyes plead with me to share the truth, but I give her thatleave it alonelook that she has become very familiar with.
Rose smiles. “We don’t have any plans besides Sophie working … although it doesn’t seem like you two are too busy today. Let’s go to the mall. I have a couple things I need to pick up.”
“Yeah, me too actually. Ready now?” I ask as I make a mental list of all the things I need to get. Although I might send someone for the majority later.
“Yep,” Rose says as she stands and pulls Sophie to her feet.
There’s a knock on the door right before a woman shouts, “Coffee!”
Rose walks over to the door and grabs our order from the lady, thanking her. And Rose quickly passes out the drinks.
“Keanu, can you take us to the mall?” I shout to the main dining area, hoping he can hear me.
The scuffle of a chair being pushed answers my question. Keanu walks into the room, wearing black sweats and a gray hoodie, complete with a baseball cap.
I’ve never made them wear suits. I couldn’t care less about what they wear as long as they are comfortable and keep me safe.
Keanu is alone today, as Max has some family stuff going on. Keanu grabs the keys to his favorite SUV—the Jaguar F-PACE—and leads us out the door. And I continue my shopping list in my head.
Since I started living at the hotel, I’ve slowly been collecting all the essentials, although the hotel has most of them. But I’m out of my shampoo and conditioner, and I won’t use just any brand. I started using Mane ’N Tail my freshman year of high school. I’ve never changed, and I never will.
When I moved into the hotel, I gave my assistant at the time my card and my sizes and told her to fill my closet with what she saw fit. She had great taste in fashion but a terrible bubbliness that became unbearable to be around.
I also need a major haul of underwear and bras. Only two ended up making it into the garbage bag I packed from my parents’ house along with two pairs of jeans, a couple blouses, and a couple of my favorite heels.
I also grabbed my mom’s heart locket that was kept in my dad’s nightstand. It has a photo of her on the right with that big smile of hers that could solve the world’s problems.
My fingers subconsciously lift, twirling the golden heart in my hand.
And on the left is a photo of my dad. I wish the image that came to my mind was this photo, where he looks peaceful and calm, not the picture that’s burned into my brain of a blood-splattered wall and a shotgun shell on the floor.
After the cops left, I sat there for hours, just staring into the abyss. And when the smallest tinge of anger peeked into my mind, I latched on to it, and I pulled, letting the anger wash over me completely.
I went out to my dad’s garage, grabbed his sledgehammer, and destroyed almost everything in the house.
