More Struggles

Camille

“You can’t be serious, Teddy! I worked for my money. This is…”

“My generosity.” He shoots back without even looking at me. I clench my fist tight, trying to keep calm. I can’t cause a scene. The last thing I need is to end up at the police station. Elosie is doing better; whatever that asshole did to her has helped. She hasn’t complained about the pain this morning.

When she had her breakfast, I told her I needed to pick up some food, but this asshole wants to pay me 200 bucks.

 “Listen. Each time you had an emergency, I had to look for help. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that,” he pushes off his chair, walking towards the shift board.

“Please, Teddy. I need the money. I just—”

“Well, nothing I can do. If you needed the money, then maybe you should have worked harder,” he says, then walks out of the office. I clench the envelope tightly, turning towards the table. I could open it and take what I needed, then run.

Would they catch me?

 I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath. No, I can’t go back down that road. It’s bad for me. I can’t risk everything when Elosie gets worse.

I step out of the office with my 200 bucks. I had a fucking budget for the money, but it seems I will only be getting essentials for now. I shove the envelope in my bag, then quickly start thinking of a new budget.

I need her medicine. We can head out of here. It’s not life to always run away when you accumulate rent, but it’s what I will do. We might have to stay in a shelter for months, but that’s fine. I just need to find a job.

I’m so lost in my own thoughts when I bump into someone. I just quickly apologize and then continue walking. I head to the pharmacy first, then head to the supermarket. Elosie wants hot chocolate, so I’ll get her that and what’s easy to pack.

I’m striding down the aisle when something catches my attention on the TV screen. Two men dressed in tuxedos are discussing something about wolves being in town. “Well, the wolves are willing to work with humans to find a solution for this. More than five in a hundred thousand babies are born as hybrids. Is this something that’s a bit of a concern?” The interviewer asks, and I freeze. Do those hybrids also experience what Elosie does?

“Not really, but I hear they might have a solution. The Alpha Prince and his entourage are in the city, pushing for this”

Salvatore? The man I met last night. My heart thunders so loudly. Fuck, I should have gotten his number. I spin on my heel, ready to walk away, when I bump into someone.

“I’m sorry.” I apologize.

When I get to the counter, I let the lady help me pack my bags. When I’m ready to pay, I check my bag, and it’s empty.

“No. No.” I shake my head. There’s no way I lost the only money I have. I quickly empty everything on the counter, and I have nothing in my bag. My envelope is gone.

“No.” I burst out laughing, but tears prick my eyes. I close my eyes, thinking of when I might have dropped my money.

It goes back to the man who bumped into me a few minutes ago.

“Excuse me, there’s…” The till operator points behind me, and there’s a long queue behind me.

 “I know. I’m sorry… Let me just…” I stutter, trying to think of what to do. “I’m sorry. But if you can’t pay, you will have to give a chance to others.”

“I know. Just give me a minute,” I pleaded, trying to take out my phone. Maybe if I asked Chris, he might help me.

I look back at the people queuing up. I’m holding the fucking line. I hear some murmurs, shit. But I don’t pay attention. I can’t lose my shit right now.

“I’m sorry,” I say, packing my things in the bag. I will have to go to Chris to see if I can get some money from him.

Once I finish packing my things, I head out of the store. Chris is my boyfriend and has helped me when I’m stuck, so he won’t mind if I ask him.

His tattoo parlor is just a few blocks down the road, so getting there doesn’t take me too long. I just rounded the corner, but what I see makes me stop in my tracks.

Chris has his mouth all over some woman, ravishing her in broad daylight. My heart thunders, eyes getting blurry.

No, that can’t be my Chris. I inch closer to him, my knees buckling. What kind of luck do I have?

“Chris?” I call him, but he doesn’t turn to me. “Chris?” I call him; nothing hurts than seeing your boyfriend, who has insisted so many times that your relationship can’t be public yet, and then you find him kissing another woman in the street.

“Chris? Someone is…” She pulls away, patting his shoulder. Tears prick my eyes, my heart pounding so hard. Chris turns to face me, his nostrils flaring as his eyes narrow. He is disgusted seeing me here.

“Do you know her?” The woman asks, she looks so elegantly beautiful, probably comes from a rich family.

“No. I don’t,” he denies. His eyes are on me. My heart races so hard as I blink back my tears.

“Chris,” I say, barely audible. “We...”

“I don’t know her. Just some lady whom Sean hired to help with the cleaning of the parlor. She also offers extra services to the guys,” he says, and I blink back my tears. Is this all I am to him? All this time, he was embarrassed by me. Is this what he told his friends who found me in his parlor?

My knees go weak when I think of the way his friends used to look at me or how his clients would offer to pay me something so they could ‘tap’ it. He told them the same thing.

“She looks hurt,” the woman whispers, her eyes on me. I refuse to break down now, but Chris has always been the one I ran to when things get tough. He would hold me when I felt like the world was caving in.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” I say, then turn on my heel, letting the tears roll down my face. 

My chest tightens. 

I cover my mouth, and around a corner, once I know those two can’t see me, I sink to the ground. I don’t think I can keep walking; my knees feel weak. I don’t have time to cry when my phone rings.

“Eloise?”

“Camille. There’s… Joe is… He’s outside the house,” she says, my heart thundering. He found us. He fucking found us.

I get to my feet, then break into a run. Please, no. Not Joe of all people. I run as fast as my feet can carry me back to the apartment. I bump into people, almost stumbling, but I keep running.

 He can’t take her away from me. I won’t let him. I run as fast as my feet can carry me, and when I finally get to our apartment, the door has been broken down and Eloise is gone.

 “El?” I shout, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Elosie!” I scream while running out of the apartment.

He took her.

“Cami!” Eloise’s voice comes from down the alley as I run in the direction where she is being dragged.

“Eloise!” I scream at the top of my voice, running towards her. But I stumble. I hit my knees first.

 I try to get up, but I might have twisted my ankle. She is shoved into the SUV, and they drive away.

“Elosie!” I shout, tears rolling down my cheeks. No, he can’t take her away from me. I place a hand on my chest, still on my knees, and burst out crying. Everything seems to be crumbling around me.