Julian’s POVMila has shocked me by complying with me, escorting her into the building that made her eyes grow twice their size. She looked at the mall we’re walking into as if she has never seen a place like it before, except I’ve been doing some research on her family.For one, her stepmother’s body has still not been recovered, which means we have to consider that she is still alive and possibly in hiding. If that’s the case, then there must be a trail leading to where she would run to hide out until she can plan her next move. Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of her, if she’s still alive, anyway.My research has helped me learn a few things about Mila as well, and one of those things is that her father was a well off man. He wasn’t the most successful businessman, but he was comfortable. Comfortable in the fact that his net worth was two million dollars. Nothing close to myself or my father, but not too bad. What I don’t understand is where all that money went. It’s cle
MilaSomething is wrong with Julian when we leave the store with my laptop and new phone. I keep glancing his way, but all I see is his furrowed brows and him clenching his jaw. What happened in such a short time to change him so quickly? I thought for a second we might even become friends, but now I’m not so sure. Being around him feels too…erratic. One second he’s almost sweet and then he’s anything but. It’s confusing and frustrating. So much so that I stop walking and grab his arm. He looks at me, surprised at first, but turns to me when I face him.“What’s the matter with you?” I snap.I’m not sure why I feel so worked up over his change in mood, but I do!“What’re you talking about?” He asks, clenching his jaw once again.“I’m talking about this.” I wave a hand over his entire person. “You were happy to throw money around for me and then, as soon as we leave the store, you look pissed off. So what is going on? Do you regret what you paid for in there? I’m more than happy to retu
Mila's POV “Where is it? I know this isn’t everything!” My stepmom has been shouting since the second I walked in and even though I’ve told her multiple times that I’m not hiding any money, she doesn’t believe me. Of course, that’s not entirely true. I have been hiding money from her. The tips I’ve made during my time working have been going into a jar hidden in my room. It’s the money I use for school, and I will never hand it over to her. Going to school is the only thing that will help me get out of this place. Even though I’m technically an adult, I don’t have anywhere to go yet. “Are you listening to me?” My stepmom’s high pitch screech snaps me back into the present and I lower my eyes to the floor. “Yes. But I’m telling you the truth…” I risk looking up at her. She’s a beautiful woman, but underneath is a monster. “…I don’t have anymore.” I finish off my reply, only to feel a sharp pain across my cheek. It isn’t the first time she’s done this, but this time feels differe
Julian’s POV I caught a whiff of a peculiar fragrance, which made me feel a bit uneasy all over. Just as I was in a daze, I was given a nudge. A gentle nudge catches me off guard, a push so delicate that I barely register it. A girl stepped into my line of sight, so my eyes drop to hers and those amber and beautiful eyes are burning with hatred toward... Toward me? Who the hell is this girl to be looking at me like that? But why does the fragrance is so near? Comes from her? “How dare you say something like that? Women are not play things to use and throw away any time you please! I don’t care what you told her. She deserves some respect!” Her words might as well be wielding pitchforks. She's not about to wait around for applause. With a final huff and an eye-roll that could rival any teen drama, she turns on her heels, storming off with enough drama to put a soap opera to shame. As if under some spell, my gaze remains glued to her retreating form, tracking her until she blend
Mila’s POVAs it turns out, I misread my schedule. It turns out that my classes don’t start until tomorrow, but I was supposed to start my new job right after my last class.It would be a waste of time for me to take the bus home just to leave again, so I text Isabella to see if she can pick me up. She had an appointment with her councilor today, so she should still be on campus.It only takes her a few seconds to answer.Izzy: I’ll be done in ten minutes! Are you okay waiting for a bit?Me: Of course. No hurries.Izzy: Thanks babe! I’ll see you in a little while. (Kissy face emoji)I smile down at her text.She’s always so upbeat and ready to go for anything, which still makes me wonder why she picked me as a friend. I’m a lot more quiet and standoffish than her, but what do they say? Behind every extravert is an introvert. Well, that is definitely true for the two of us.I find an empty table near the school coffee kiosk and sit down to wait. A few whispers float my way, but I ignor
Mila’s POV “You should buy something for your new job! Or is it one of those places with a dress code?” Isabella asks when we stop at the first store. I follow her as she browses the racks and my eye lands on a shiny blue dress. It looks like something I see a lot of girls wear at clubs, and it’s beautiful. I’ve never worn anything that flashy or form fitting, but the urge to try it on is strong and Isabella must see it because she walks over and grabs it. “Come on!” She chirps before grabbing my hand again and dragging me to the fitting room. “Try it on.” I do as she says and step into the small room. First, I look at my reflection. I don’t wear any makeup or nice clothes, so most of the time I look really plain. It’s a side effect of trying to be completely invisible in this town. When I’m sick of looking at myself, I turn my back to the mirror and strip my clothes off. If I turned back around, I would see the many scars on my body. This dress isn’t leaving this store with me
“That’s right. You remember me.” His words show like: I see I made an impression.Uh, he’s one of those guys who thinks he’s god’s gift to women.My internal radar beeps with a warning. He exudes the air of a man who's accustomed to turning heads, perhaps too aware of his own charm. It's a type I've learned to be wary of—someone who believes he's the ultimate prize in the game of attraction.I hate guys like that.“Not exactly.” I say and move around him to head down the hallway.“Really? Then how did you know who I was?” His words seem to insinuate, "I caught your attention, didn't I?" It's precisely the kind of arrogance I've come to disdain. I just try to ignore him.“You're not as timid as you were. Which one is the real you, huh?”He goes on from behind me.I whirl around to face him and rest my hands on my hips. “Look. This is just some sort of weird coincidence. We met at the bus stop and nothing more. Now, this is my first shift, so I can’t be late. Excuse me.”As I pivot an
Mila’s POVI feel a gush of warm liquid smash against my skin and across my chest and down the side of my face. My eyes blink rapidly as I try to process the scene in front of me. All the sounds of chaos around me fad into a steady ringing sound when I look down at my hands and see them covered.Blood. It’s blood.My eyes lift to where the man who had been touching me is clutching his hand to his chest. One of his friends grabs his arm and wraps it around the bloody mess. His head snaps to me and he starts toward me.That’s when the noise snaps into place, and I stumble back. Someone from behind me wraps their arms around me, pining my arms to my side. I struggle against him, but he turns and pushes me against the bar counter and pushes my head down on the counter with his arm. He pins me there and I feel something cold and metallic against my lower back and a tug that causes my shirt to rip down the middle of my back.The fabric drops past my shoulders and a sob escapes me.“Well, it