All she wanted, was to say something that would hurt him. Spurred on by the alcohol in her blood and the anger in her heart, she spewed venom at him. “Get over yourself,” she spat at him. “This was never about you!There’s nothing special about you.I randomly choose you that night.It could have been anyone else.Now I wish I had slept with someone else that night!”Audrey regretted the words as soon as the words fell from her mouth. Her hands flew to her mouth, and tears of shame stung her eyes.Lucien stared at her with cold indignation. She’d hurt him, exactly as she wanted to. Who had she become? She had finally had the courage to stand up for herself and expressed her true emotions. But she had to hurt someone to do it. Before she could apologize,he left without a word. “What have I done?” she cried, as she sank to her knees. Violent sobs quaked through her body. What would become of her now? She angered the man who held her life in his hands. He paid her father’s medical bi
“Wake up, sleepyhead,”Tracy sang.Audrey groaned as she opened her eyes and was assaulted by sunlight. Pain throbbed behind her eyes, and each movement brought on a new wave of nausea. “Ugh, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus,”She remarked. “You look like it,”Tracy teased. “Here, I’ve got you a nice breakfast, a glass of water, and some Tylenol.” “You’re an angel,”Audrey cooed.She began by guzzling down the water and attacked her breakfast.Tracy laughed. “Hungry?” “Starving,”Audrey replied through mouthfuls of food. After she ate her food, and drank the headache pill,she began to feel more like herself. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome,”Tracy smiled. After a few moments, her demeanor changed and she stiffened up a bit. She looked Audrey with concerned eyes. “So last night was wild, huh?” “I…”Audrey didn’t know what to say. She had lied to both Tracy and Becca so much. And for what? She scolded herself. None of it was worth it. “Listen. Some stuff happened, but the bottom lin
Audrey spent the next day moving her things from her old room into her father’s room. She was going to sleep in there now in case her father needed her at night. The room was large enough for her old twin bed.Going through her old things was hard. Among her things were many mementos of her childhood. Photos of her mother, of the three of them together, and some of her mother’s jewelry and clothes, her old toys and baby clothes, and some of her father’s old things from before he let the alcohol take him. Her mother was beautiful.But Audrey felt she didn’t take after her in looks.She looked more like her father. Pieces of a life, long gone and forgotten, were scattered around her.Audrey sobbed for a long time, with the remnants of her happiness strewn about. She set a framed photo of the three of them on a nightstand next to her father’s bed. It was taken on her fourth birthday. Doting parents stood on other side of an happy child with a cake covered face. “Here’s something for y
The world had frozen around her. Everything around her faded away, and the only thing she could see was Megan’shands rubbing all over Lucien.And she had no idea why it affected her so much. She wanted nothing to do with him,and even less to do with Megan.Yet,a vile mixture of anger, hatred and jealously swirled around within her.Audrey’s heart slammed against her ribs, and it felt like there wasn’t enough air in the club. “I need to leave,”She said, turning around to get out. All she could think of was how she needed to escape for her own sanity. Nothing good would come out of any conversation with those two. “Audrey!” Megan called in feigned enthusiasm. “Why on Earth are you leaving? Come over,bring your friends and join us for a drink!” “Counterfeit bitch,” Tracy muttered. “Don’t run from her. It’s what she wants.”Tracy was right, and Audrey had promised her father that she wouldn’t let anyone bully her anymore. She plastered on a fake smile, and turned back around.Trac
Megan still wasn’t ready to back off.For some reason,she liked belittling Audrey. “Oh, poor Aud. Dealing with your emotions the way you were taught to. Taught how to drink the pain away by your good-for-nothing alcoholic—” Tracy slapped Megan with full force. She would not sit there and let this piece of shit demean her friend like this. “You fucking bitch!” Megan screamed. She jumped up and lunged at Tracy.Tracy was ready to fight her, but Mark jumped in between them. “Don’t you dare touch my girl,” Mark warned. “Sit the fuck down.” Megan pretended to be hurt, and pouted to Lucien. “Why are they all ganging up on me? I haven’t done anything!” “Oh, shut up, Meg,”Audrey snapped, feeling brave from her buzz. “Maybe you need a glass of ‘mind your damn business’. Stop worrying about me. Or at least stop pretending to. That one right there,” she pointed at Lucien. “You think he’ll be good to you? He’s only looking out for himself. When he’s tired of you, he’ll just move on t
Audrey was more baffled than ever. Lucien had spent most of the night insulting her and letting Megan paw all over him. He had even alluded to the fact that he had slept with her. It genuinely seemed like he was enjoying her company.Then he just abandoned Megan,followed Audrey out of the club, and gave her a new apartment.Lucien’s mind was a maze that no one would ever know how to escape from. What did he want from her? This day just wouldn’t end. Lucien glowered at her, wondering why she hadn’t moved a muscle. “What are you waiting for?”Lucien asked waving his hand in her face.Audrey snapped out of her trance. “Do you want me to go in there with you?” He suggested with a smirk.Audrey’s face went bright red, she mumbled something incoherent and dashed into the bathroom. She could hear Lucien laugh as she shut the door. The bathroom was as lovely as the rest of the apartment. It wasn’t as lavish at the one in the hotel, but it was still grander than any she’d ever had. There wa
I’m not drunk,” Tracy declared her words slurring together. “But Meg is blacked out. She tried to fool everyone, but she’s back there so drunk. Ha! Tried to lie, talking about how she doesn’t drink. I don’t think she’ll bully you anymore. I won’t allow it!” She stepped forward and pulled Audrey in for a giant hug. “I have avenged you!” She shouted with a triumphant smile. “Friends don’t get much better than you,” Audrey said. Her friends were the only good thing she had in her life. “They sure don’t!” Tracy yelled, throwing her hands in the air. “Best friends forever!” “Babe,” Mark said, turning Tracy around to face him. “Drink some water. Don’t want you feeling sick tomorrow.” He brought a glass of ice water to Tracy’s lips. He dabbed the corners of her mouth when she was done, and kissed her. Audrey had noticed it earlier that night when Tracy had punched him. They were together for such a short a time, but it was clear that Mark was love-struck. He looked at Tracy like she wa
Audrey looked away. She was getting tired of these games he was trying to play with her, but she wouldn’t give in to him. The bus would come soon, and she could get away from them. She turned her face away from them refusing to give them the satisfaction of her attention.Can’t he just be with Megan without shoving it in her face?It felt as if he was purposely trying to torture her.Lucien looked up to try and intimidate Audrey some more, but saw that she was looking away. He looked at her profile, and saw a face he wished he could forget. “This is annoying,” he said, backing off of Megan. “Lucien, baby,” Megan whined trying to get him to resume. “I thought we were going to give them a show. “Get off of me,” he shrugged her off. “I am not your ‘baby’,” he hissed at her. “Besides, you’re drunk.” “But Lucien,” Megan reached over to touch him. “I said, get off.”Audrey was so thrown off by his behavior. Not ten seconds ago he was trying to put on some kind of show for her. A