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Samantha could almost hear the victory bells ringing inside his head."Yes," she repeated, her voice steadier this time. "I'll marry you, but it has to be on my terms. I need time, and I need to wrap my head around this before anything happens. You can't expect me to jump headfirst into this circus."Jason tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "So you've finally come to your senses."His hand brushed over her arm with brief affection before he stepped back. "Your mother's surgery will be taken care of. The hospital will receive the payment confirmation before sundown. And as for your brother's… unfortunate choices, I'll have his debt cleared. Consider it a wedding gift."Her chest caved inward with relief, even though she wanted nothing less than to be indebted to him. "Thank you."Jason chuckled softly. "You'll learn to say that more convincingly in time." He smoothed his cuff, his composure flawless. "Enjoy your newly furnished apartment a little longer, cariño. But do
Ben's arms were a lot thinner than she remembered, but the hug still hit like a lifesaver when he wrapped them around her. He smelled of street rain and fear and something cheap he'd worn too many nights in a row, and for a few seconds, Samantha forgot all about everything else, and she just clung to him because he was here, alive and shaking, and she needed that more than anything."Sam---" Ben gasped into her shoulder. "Sam, they'll kill me. They'll cut me up, they'll---""Shhh." Samantha's hands moved on their own and stroked his hair. "Hey, breathe. Okay? Breathe with me." She made him match her inhales and exhales until the shaking eased enough that she could see his face. He watched her with eyes too old for his twenty-something face, and she felt a hard, hot thing break open in her chest."You should have contacted me sooner," she said in a small voice. "Why did you come here?"Ben swallowed, looking anywhere but at her. "I didn't know where else to go." He laughed a rough, e
“This shit again? How many times do I have to tell you? The answer is no!”"Marry me," he repeated, as casually as if he were simply asking about the weather. "All it takes is one simple ceremony, and all your problems disappear.” He snapped his fingers. “Like that. Your mother gets her surgery, your reputation gets out of the gutter, and you get to live the life that you were meant for.""You mean the life you decided I was meant for," she corrected bitterly."The life you deserve, mi amor”, he countered. "Unless you prefer struggling to pay rent while your mother wastes away in some charity ward?"The cruelty of it took her breath away. "You're sick.""I would say practical," Jason said. "And patient. I've waited for you to come to your senses, but clearly you need motivation.""This isn't love, Jason, this is obsession. You’re crazy. I don’t know what you’ve been doing all these years, but it’s definitely made you crazy.""Call it whatever you want," he shrugged. "The result is sti
The crowd outside the station was a giant sea of flashing lights, microphones, and eager faces pressed against barricades. Samantha had never seen so many cameras in her life, and the second she stepped through the glass doors at Jason's side, a storm erupted."Mr. Hale! Who is she to you?" "Is it true she assaulted a patient?" "Is this your mystery fiancée?" "Jason, Jason---look here! One smile for the Times!"Jason's arm slid around her shoulders as if it belonged there, pulling her against him like she was his prize. For a brief second, she wanted so badly to melt into the safety of his touch, but then she remembered who he was and the mess he was making of her life and wanted just as badly to shove him off, but the camera flashes were so blinding, and she couldn't break free without making a bigger scene. “Is she really your ex-girlfriend or is she just a gold digger?” Jason’s arm then reached around her waist, his hand spread possessively across her stomach to hold her steady
How the mighty had fallen. Samantha, once the best geology student in all of New York, then an ordinary barista, was now a common prisoner.The station looked and smelled exactly like her broken dreams. The fluorescent lights that hummed overhead cast everything in an ugly yellow glow as Samantha sat numbly through fingerprinting, mugshots, and endless paperwork. Her protests and explanations went unheard, as the bored officers treated her like just another case number, instead of an actual human being with a dying mother and a life that was completely falling apart. They did not get paid enough to listen to her whine and make excuses."Name?" the booking officer had asked without looking up."Samantha Torres.""Age?""Twenty-five.""Occupation?"She hesitated. "I work at a coffee shop."The officer had snorted. "Right. And I'm the Pope."Before long, she was shoved into a tiny holding cell that reeked of wet concrete and industrial disinfectant with suspicious dirty water dripping f
"Arrest her!" the old man shouted, clutching the side of his bleeding head as two nurses frantically tried to press gauze to the wound. His face twisted with rage, spit flying from his open mouth. "That girl tried to kill me! You all saw it! She nearly cracked my skull open!" "Sir, please try to stay calm," one nurse said, trying to steady him. "We need to assess the damage." "Calm? CALM?!" The old man's voice shook with fury. "She could've killed me! What if I have a concussion? What if there's brain damage?" "No! Wait… no, that's not what happened!" Samantha shouted, stepping forward, her hands trembling as she tried to defend herself. Her face had gone pale, and her voice cracked as she rushed the words out. "It was an accident! Please, I didn't mean to hurt anyone! I was just trying to…" But her cries were already drowned out by the swarm of voices around her. Doctors poked their heads out of patient rooms, frowning because the hospital’s usual peace and quiet was now