登入Joey's POV"But I was so sure that I checked the schedule," I argued, jamming everything that belonged to me into my bag while balancing my phone between my ear and shoulder."I'm sure you did," Winona said, trying to encourage me. "Maybe you just got carried away with everything that's happened in the last twenty-four hours.”I let out a tired sigh. "So, what's it going to be now?" I asked, honestly confused about what to do next."And how come you're the one calling to tell me about the scheduling problem and not the student?" I asked.She remained quiet on the phone, and I already knew something was wrong before she even spoke."The student reported you. And our employer reached out to me cause he couldn’t reach you.”"I'm not really sure if I can explain everything over the phone. I think you should come to the hospital. We can talk through everything here," Winona said, lowering her voice slightly.I let out an unsure "Okay" before stretching out my hand to hail a cab. I reached
Juan made a weird noise over the phone, making me imagine what his face looked like and how he was probably wearing that smug smile he always had whenever he called me cupcake."Good jobs are difficult to come by these days," he said with a short, soft chuckle. "I'm sure you've realized that by now, probably why you thought to call me."His tone- he sounded almost like he was overly excited that I would come to work for him again."You know you have a special place in my heart," his voice making my stomach churn. "I'll give you your job back.""But unfortunately, you're not going to be earning as much as you were earning before. After you quit, I had to hire a few more strippers to fill your place. Taking you back now would mean that you would have to settle for slightly less pay than before. I'm sure you don't mind."What a bastard. He was already making so much money off me, and by doing this, I figured he just wanted to punish me because my quitting the first time had really hurt h
Joey's POV I stared at the mail, a smile crossing my lips as I walked in through the back. Winona introduced me to her boss, who was in charge of the tutoring firm.With this new job, I can finally quit this one.Besides, I had already saved up enough money for Cassian's tuition. That was more than enough.“Hey, Natie!” One of the other girls called out to me.“Hey, Golden Girl!”I smiled and waved to them as I reached for my face, making sure that my mask was in place.Thankfully, it was. The last thing I wanted was for someone in school to recognize me here.I walked towards the Manager's office and knocked.“Come in,” He called out from inside.I took a deep breath before walking in.When he saw me, he leaned forward, his smile spreading into a grin. “If it isn't Natasha, my Golden girl.”He turned his chair and reached for my face. “You know, you don't have to wear this when it’s just us”I took a step back, evading his touch.“Come on, now, cupcake,” he said. “You don't have to
Gabriel’s POVRoland stared at Ryder. “Who else? Natasha. The Golden Girl,” sounding proudEven I looked at him. “You actually did?”He nodded proudly. “I had to spend half my monthly allowance.”Ryder almost choked on his drink. “Half?”Roland nodded again. “Half. It hurt my wallet, but it was totally worth it.”“You've lost your mind,” Ryder said, laughing.“I haven't. You just haven't seen her perform.” He leaned closer to us. “People wait for weeks to get a private session with Natasha. She's the biggest dancer in this club.”“So how did you get one?” Ryder asked.Roland smiled proudly. “I paid the manager extra.”Ryder burst into laughter. “I knew it!”Roland shrugged. “Judge me all you want. Once you see her dance, you'll understand.” Then he looked at me. “And tonight is exactly what you need, Captain.”I raised an eyebrow. “How?”“You've been thinking too much lately. One dance from Natasha and you'll forget whatever has been bothering you.”“I doubt that.”Roland laughed. “Ju
Winona blinked. “Saw him? Like, here... On campus?”I nodded.Her eyes widened. “No. Freaking. Way.” Her grip on my shoulder tightened. “So, like, how was it? Did he apologize for ghosting you and basically running away?”I shook my head.She blinked again. “Then what did he…", making wild gestures with her hands, urging me to speak.“He just walked away like he didn't know me.”Her mouth dropped open. Suddenly, she started folding the sleeves of her shirt. “That's it. We are going to track down that asshole, and we are going to beat him to a pulp.”I couldn't help but laugh. It was nice having someone on my side.Just then, my alarm rang, and I stopped it.“Well, I wouldn't mind that,” I said, standing up. “But I have a meeting with my current boyfriend.” She smiled. “And I wouldn't want to waste any second doing anything that has to do with Mr. Davenport.”Seconds passed, and she didn't say anything.I turned to her, and the shock in her eyes made me blink. I waited a second, but sh
Joey's POVWords couldn't describe the emotions I felt at that moment. But if I could, it would be a mix of relief, hatred, and something else that made my heart skip a beat.It really was him. It was Gabriel.He stood over me, impossibly handsome as always, with piercing blue eyes that still seemed almost unreal against his tousled black hairA memory of me running my hands through them flashed before my eyes.He wore a fitted black hoodie over a plain white T-shirt, dark jeans, and spotless white sneakers, looking every bit like an ordinary college student.To anyone else, he would've looked charming.To me… He looked like a nightmare wearing a beautiful face.Beautiful? I pushed the thought away. I couldn't think that way. Not now. Not after what he did.Still, a part of me felt the opposite.I picked up the books again, faster this time, and then straightened, meeting his eyes.I let my lips curl into a smile, giving in to that relief of seeing him, of knowing that he was okay. “I







