Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
“I don’t think it’ll be comfortable riding on a bumpy bus after everything that’s just happened.” I nod toward the parking lot. “I don’t mind giving you a lift.”
“Why give a ride to someone you hate?” Ice and malice fill her tone as she stares at me accusingly.
“Who said anything about hating?”
“You don’t fuck someone like that if you don’t hate them.” She wraps her arms around herself. “I didn’t do anything to you guys. I gave you your two hours, so I just want you to leave me alone.”
She turns to walk away, but I know I can’t let her go out around other people looking like that. I gently grab her arm with enough pressure to keep her from running, but not enough to hurt her. She glares at me, but she at least doesn’t pull away.
“Please,” I say and give her what I hope is an inviting smile. “It’s the least I can do after all of…that.”
She stares at me for a long moment as she bites the inside of her cheek. “Fine,” she agrees reluctantly.
She follows me back to my car and looks around cautiously, as if she’s looking for Tristan to pop out from the shadows. Even I’m surprised not to find him anywhere. I pull out my phone to call him, only to find a text from him.
Tristan: Taking an Uber to give me time to cool off. Don’t wait for me.
I sigh inwardly and unlock the car door. Considering that we arrived in his car, it’s strange that he’d take an Uber instead of making me take one, but I guess it works out. Kitten gets into the passenger seat, sitting as far away as she can. She murmurs her address to me and then goes silent, not saying anything for the duration of the trip.
By the time we get to her place, the earlier guilt I felt comes back with a vengeance. At least I now know why she sold her virginity for money. The apartment complex is run-down and doesn’t look like a safe place for someone like her to live alone in. It’s a miracle that the place isn’t condemned with its broken windows, sagging foundation, and the cracked sidewalk leading to the place. I frown at the scene in front of me. Tristan had said that desperate people would do anything and now I see what she’d willingly risk her life for.
She opens the car door, which pulls my attention away from the apartment complex. I quickly get out of the car and help her out, only for her to jerk away from me. I put my hands in my pockets, more so to remind myself not to try to help her since she doesn’t want to be touched. My head stays on a swivel as we make our way inside the building. The inside is even worse than the outside. There’s no way that this building could pass inspection. How the fuck can she stand to live here?
The stairs leading to the upper levels appear to be on their last legs, trembling anytime someone uses them. I look up to see the patchy work on the roof and then notice the buckets scattered across the floor, probably to catch whatever leaks from the ceiling. I shake my head. This is fucking sad.
Despite her initial refusal, she allows me to help her up the stairs to her apartment. When she gets to her door, she unlocks it and quickly slips inside before slamming the door in my face. I listen as she engages every lock she owns on her front door, shaking my head.
“You’re welcome,” I say under my breath before stalking away.
When I’m back in the safety of my car, I type her address into a note on my phone. Knowing her address is at least a start, as I can use that to try to find more information on her. We may not have gotten her name, but we at least know where we can find her. All isn’t lost yet.
Tristan is across the couch when I come in, beer in hand. He glares at me but doesn’t say anything, not that I need him to. I know he’s disappointed that we didn’t get the information we were hoping to get, but hopefully, my information can change his mood.
“I got her address,” I finally say, breaking the uneasy tension in the room. He doesn’t initially react, only taking another swig from the beer bottle instead.
“And how do you know it’s actually hers?”
“I gave her a ride home.” I sigh deeply. “At least it makes sense why she wanted to sell her virginity in the first place. The building is a fucking health hazard.”
I Airdrop the note file to him with her address and wait. He opens it, looks at it, and then cuts his eyes to me.