“What are you doing here?” How the hell did she even know where I lived?
“Well, hello to you too. I sent you a text and then just decided a visit would be better. Are you going to let me in?” I hesitate, knowing Max is sleeping in the other room.
“Just for a minute. I have company coming over soon, so whatever it is, you need to make it fast.” I know I’m being rude to her, but I’m pissed she decided to just show up like this without so much as a warning. All I care about is making sure she’s gone by the time Sophia gets here so I can tell her about Addy myself and not have her see us together in the fucking living room.
“Company?” She arches her perfectly shaped eyebrows at me, which must have cost a fortune, as she walks inside.
“Yes. Not that it’s any of your business, but my girlfriend will be on her way soon.” I hope that by mentioning my girlfriend, she won’t get any ideas of us getting back together.
“Girlfriend? Look at you. Who is she? What does she do?”
I rub my hand over my face in frustration, trying to get this conversation to move faster. “Sophia, and she’s a teacher. Can we be done with the small talk now? Why the fuck are you here, Addy? It’s been five years, and I haven’t heard a single peep from you.”
“Maybe I just wanted to see how you were doing.” She looks around my place nervously, and I can tell she’s here for a reason. I just don’t know what it is yet. “I heard you work for a big gallery now. Making the big bucks. This place is beautiful.” She glances around my house and stops when she sees the portraits on the wall of Max.
“Is that?” She walks over and looks at them.
“Yes. That’s Max.” I feel a knot form in my gut as she studies them.
“He looks just like you.”
“Yeah, he does. So what do you want Addy?”
“You do beautiful work, Travis. These are the drawings you do for the gallery?”
“Well, not Max’s, but yes. People commission me to do portraits for them, and most of the time, they give me permission to sell to the gallery.”
“I’ve heard they pay you a fortune for them.” She twists her rings on her fingers. It’s a habit she’s always had when she’s nervous.
It’s the second time she’s mentioned money. I take the time to really look at her. She’s lost weight since I’ve last seen her, and her eyes have that lost look to them. “How much?”
Her eyes briefly widen in surprise before she recovers. “How much what?”
“How much money do you need?” She continues to twist her rings and looks anywhere but at me. “Just tell me,” I sigh.
“Ten thousand,” she whispers, not meeting my eyes.
“Jesus, Addy. What the fuck? I know you make a shit ton with your career. Where did it all go?”
“You have no idea how expensive it is to live in LA and keep up with the celebrities I hang around with. I have to keep up appearances. It costs a fortune to look like this.” My eyes scan down her body, and all I can think about is how fucking glad Sophia is not like her.
“My brothers tell me you’ve been using again? You swore to me after you got pregnant that you were done with that shit.”
“I only use a little bit. Just enough to get me through the really stressful days. You have no idea the pressure I’m under.”
I want to ask what she’s using, but I’m afraid of how bad it’s gotten. “Do you need me to get you some help? Are you even happy modeling anymore?”
“Of course, I don’t need help. I told you it’s not bad. I just have a couple of people that I owe money to, and it’s gotten me behind on my bills. I wouldn’t have come to you if it wasn’t important. If you do this one thing, I promise I won’t ever ask again. I have a big job coming up, and I’ll pay you back, I swear.”
“Who do you owe money to?”
“It’s best if you don’t know,” she says softly.
“Damn it, Addy.” I pace the living room, trying to reign in my anger. “Are you in danger?” I try to keep my voice even.
“No. I’ll be fine. I’ve known them for a while, and this is the first time I’ve been late on a payment.”
“And if I don’t give you the money?” I could care less about the money, but I want to gauge how deep of a mess she’s dug herself into.
