Alle Kapitel von Dirty (short stories): Kapitel 71 – Kapitel 80

Elena wiped the grease from her hands on her apron, the cheap fabric clinging to her sweat-damp skin. The diner noise buzzed around her, clattering plates, tired laughter from the late crowd but all she could hear was the pounding in her chest. The hospital bill sat folded in her pocket like a lead weight. Another round of chemo. Another ten thousand dollars she didn’t have. Her phone buzzed. She pulled it out under the counter, heart sinking at the new notification. *Final notice.* She couldn’t keep doing this. Begging for shifts. Skipping meals. Watching her mom fade in that sterile room. Her thumb hovered over a job offer sent to her mail just two days ago. *Companion wanted. Generous compensation. Discretion required. Serious inquiries only.* The pay range made her breath catch. Enough to cover the bills. Enough to breathe. Before she could talk herself out of it, she sent the reply. Within minutes, a response pinged back with an address and a time. Tonight. 9 PM. She to

Elena’s back hit the door the moment it clicked shut. Alexander stood inches away, his body heat wrapping around her like a threat. The red dress suddenly felt too tight, too revealing.“You’ve been thinking about this since you signed,” he said, voice low. No question. Just fact.She swallowed hard. “You don’t know what I’ve been thinking.”His hand came up, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw before sliding into her hair. He didn’t pull, but the grip was firm enough to tilt her head exactly how he wanted. “I know you’re scared. I also know you’re wet already.”Heat flooded her face. She wanted to deny it. She wanted to slap him. Instead her breath hitched when his thumb brushed her lower lip.“Alexander—”He kissed her.No softness. No warmup. Just raw hunger that slammed into her chest and stole the air from her lungs. His mouth claimed hers, demanding, and after a frozen second she kissed him back. Teeth scraped. Tongues tangled. Her hands fisted in his shirt before she could

Ava Harper was twenty four, single, and officially done with her family treating her love life like an overdue borrowed library book that should be returned. She was at her sister Sophie’s engagement party on a fancy rooftop in the city, there were string lights twinkling overhead, a champagne tower glistening like a crystal, waiters gliding around with trays of tiny hors d’oeuvres that cost more than her weekly grocery budget. Everyone was dressed like they were auditioning for an award winning movie: off the chart suits, silk dresses, fake laughs echoing off the surrounding. Ava wore a simple black dress and heels she already regretted cause they pinched her toes and made her feel like she was walking on knives or maybe she was. She’d been dodging questions all night. “When is it your turn, Ava?” “Why don’t you have a boyfriend yet?” “You’re not getting any younger, you know.” She smiled through gritted teeth, sipped her champagne, and escaped to the kitchen area when her

The wedding weekend officially began with a disaster that set the tone for everything to come. Ava and Finn arrived at the resort Friday evening in separate cars (Ava with her mom, Finn driving himself in his beat-up hatchback that looked like it had survived three apocalypses). The place was stunning: with an ocean view, white tents on the lawn, fairy lights everywhere, and a welcome sign that read “Sophie & Marcus – Forever Starts Here.” Ava’s family had rented out half the venue. Everyone was already there, there aunts, uncles, cousins, Sophie’s bridesmaids, Marcus’s groomsmen, and a small army of nosy relatives who immediately swarmed Finn like he was a celebrity. Ava saw this and she had already began sweating. Finn stepped out of his car in his new black shirt (extra button undone for “wedding charm”), carrying a small duffel bag and looking way too excited for someone who was supposed to be a fake boyfriend. Ava looked tensed.. “Relax,” he whispered as they walk

It was one month after the wedding, Ava's apartment felt quiet, too quiet and just too... empty too. She didn't know why, the job was done, her family bought the whole "boyfriend" story, Mom still asked about Finn like he was family, asking when he would come visit again, she couldn't bring herself to tell her the broke up or it was fake, Evans's TikToks had died down to occasional reposts. Life should be back to normal, it should be just work, coffee, and sleep. Repeating the cycle daily... But every time she opened the fridge, she remembered him stealing her last yogurt and leaving a sticky note: "I'll buy more, it is a promise but." He never did. She will scroll I*******m at night and see blue shirts, resampling his favourite color and pause too long staring or she would hear a laugh in a café that sounded like his stupid, loud one. or catch Evans sending old clips: Finn twirling in the kilt, Finn smearing salmon, Finn winning the dance off. She'd watch, smirk, then close it f