Chapter 4

I quickly rush out of the room, my breathing heavy as I internally cursed at myself. What was I thinking? I can't just enter any room like that! I placed a hand over my heart, trying to calm down the fast beating.

The door behind me was cold and I leaned my back against it, knowing I didn't see anything. I couldn't seem to move my body. I was frozen and I stayed in my spot for what felt like hours but then the door opened and I stumbled forward, almost hitting the floor but someone wrapped their arms around my waist, catching me.

Xavier.

I looked up at him and blushed red.

"Uhmm," I mumble, unsure of what to say. "Sorry about that, I mean about earlier, I didn't see anything." I rush to explain myself.

He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, "Indeed?"

I slowly nod my head, hoping he would believe my truth. "I didn't see anything."

"Very well then, Miss Lily, as you can see-" He gestured forward, taking a step past me. "I have to be somewhere soon." He says.

"WAIT!"

"I'll take my leave now. But before I do so, I'd like to thank you for last night. . . for your help last night."

"I didn't help you last night, Miss Hayden, and I think you should take into consideration that if you leave this house now, you'll have no place to go." He states and immediately I felt a bolt of anger invade me.

It was true and I knew that but. . . but he didn't need to say it like that, like the way he did, it only made me angrier than I already am.

My eyes narrowed at the man, "Whose fault is that?" I snapped, not even caring that my voice was rising higher. "I would have a place to stay, if only you would just leave me alone, for god's sake!"

"Why would I do that miss Hayden? You disrespected me. Do you think I would let that pass easily?"

This man was infuriating.

My hands clenched into fists and he watched the movement in amusement, his lips lifted upwards, into one of his smirks.

"I won't stay here if that's what you want-"

He cut me off my statement.

"Now who said that was what I wanted?" He asked so bluntly.

I sent him a hard glare before turning back around to find the room I previously was in. It was hard skimming my way through the place and it took me a long time to reach the room, only to find Carrie crying.

I quickly rushed to her and picked the little girl up in my arms, she was so small. She wrapped her small arms around my neck. "I'm sorry I took so long." I apologized but then I remembered I was meant to get her breakfast!

"Baby," I cooed at her.

"Let's go and get you some breakfast outside."

She nodded her head and scratched her eyes with her tiny hand.

I grabbed my bags and smiled at her, "And off we go."

We exited the room and our little search to locate the front entrance of the house began while we searched, I concluded that Xavier wasn't in the house any longer. He must have left.

The front door came in sight and I breathed out in relief, that was a long one. I yanked it open and we stepped out, the sun shining down on us immediately. I was about to shut the door but not before taking a final glance at the inside.

Where had he gone?

He was such a mysterious man.

Carrie had started to whine as I looked for a good place to eat and I tried my hardest to calm her down.

It was hard with hardly any money in my pocket.

But I managed to find a cute little booth and bought the cheapest thing they had. I sighed to myself, wondering where the hell would I find a place for us to stay tonight? Everything was such a mess and so damn hard.

I wasn't going back there, to him.

We stayed at the booth for as long as we could.

But it was starting to get cold.

My eyes flickered down to the sleeping girl in my arms and tears threatened to spill. I can't be like this. I've never been like this. I've never been this miserable.

A familiar lady stood not too far from me and I watched her in curiosity, she looked so familiar but where had I seen her before? She stood too far.

Our eyes connected and she took fast steps toward me.

"Oh my god, it's you, Lily!" She squealed.

Kenzie! I remember her, we were friends in sophomore and I bet if I wasn't holding a sleeping Carrie then I, too, would have squealed in delight at her sight.

I watched her as she looked around, probably wondering what I was doing here, all alone. I told her it was a long story to explain and she had asked me if I could go with her, of course, I had to say yes to that.

Unfortunately,

She lived in a club that had one small room.

It'll have to do for now. I can't be picky now.

Kenzie motioned to the child in my arms and I sighed, quickly starting to tell her everything that went down, and her jaw stayed dropped the whole time.

When it was over, she looked at me in pity.

I hated that. I didn't want anyone's pity.

"What do you do here, in a club?" I asked in hesitation, feeling uncomfortable here.

Her eyes moved away from mine but not before I saw the tears in her eyes. She started to tell me that she worked here, as a stripper and I didn't dare to judge her, definitely not now, not like this. We all had our problems. She had told me her parents died two weeks after I traveled to them. This was the only way she could eat and take care of herself she said while sniffling her tears away.

But I understood her.

I understood how she felt.

Like she had no one, nothing, nowhere to go, nothing to eat, always have endless questions.

I knew it all too well.

I brought her in for a hug and held her tightly to me, allowing her to cry and share some of her pain with me.

***

A week later and today would be the first day I was going on as a stripper.

Would you like to know why?

Two days after I arrived here, in this club with Kenzie, she was almost out of her stock- thanks to me and I felt like a huge burden to her, even though she continuously denied it, saying everything was okay. I noticed a while later and asked her if there was anything I could do to help her, knowing full well that I would do whatever it took to help.

I tried looking for a job.

No one would dare to hire me.

And I felt the need to strangle that Xavier guy! This was all his damn fault, he did this. It was all happening because of him.

The situation had only gotten worst.

But then one of Kenzie's friends offered me a job, to be a stripper, to join in on their family. I wouldn't need to have sex but I rejected it at first.

Saying I'd find a job.

But as you can see, luck is hardly ever on my side.

Because I didn't find a job.

So now here I was, getting ready for my first time on stage.

I had made sure Carrie was fast asleep before we left and had locked her into the room, too, for safety.

When we entered downstairs, into the club, I gulped, suddenly feeling everything hit me all at once. The people, the music, the smell of alcohol. But it didn't take me long to get my first customer.

I was about to dance, just like I had been thought when a warm hand landed on my arm and gripped me hard, pulling me to a hard chest and into a dark room. I knew it was a guy so I kept thrashing.

He was far too strong.

"What do you want?" I screamed at the unknown person.

He dipped his head down and brushed his lips past my ears causing a shiver to run through me. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The man snarled in my ear, anger and blood-red anger were all I could hear from him.

"Xavier," I breathed out.