Heartbreak Me by T.L. Smith Page 0,30

Losing is never an option. “Don’t be so sour,” she says, nudging me. “You will set your face in a permeant scowl one day.”

I turn to look at her and see her smiling. It’s genuine. Until she realizes I am not, and I watch as it drops from her pink lips.

“You are good. Why have you stopped?” I ask.

“Why are you here?” she asks, back to avoiding my question.

I think on it a bit. I could tell her the truth, but that would do no one any good. So, instead, I offer her a half-truth. “You are meant to be a means to an end. Instead, I am getting lost somewhere in the middle.”

She’s quiet, and when I turn to look at her, she’s staring up at the sky.

“I’m not Lucy. I don’t chase or want to be chased by someone who is bad. Bad and me just don’t mix. It doesn’t entice me nor make me all hot and bothered. She has always wanted the bad boy, while I am more than content to have a man who tells me every day how much I mean to him, instead of letting me guess.” When I don’t speak, she turns to look at me. “So, use me the same way you would her, Atlas. Because I don’t want this game. I didn’t sign up for it. All I want is for this to be over so I can go back to my normal life.”

I stand at her words. She looks up at me with her sky-blue eyes, and I wonder how someone can be so perfect.

“You and Lucy are different, that is no lie,” I tell her. “One is better than the other, that’s for sure,” I say while walking away to the waiting car.

I will let her ponder over my words, wondering which I prefer.

Chapter Fifteen

Theadora

‘One is better than the other, that’s for sure.’ What on earth does that even mean? I watch as he gets in his car, then he looks back.

“When should I be expecting you again?” I ask while standing, my hands running down my sides smoothing my shirt.

His hands are on the wheel. “We can run tomorrow.” Then he’s gone, pulling out into traffic so quickly the wheels spin.

Tomorrow? Shit!

I don’t want to run with him tomorrow. He is a distraction enough as it is. And his cryptic words make him hard to understand.

Getting inside, my cell starts ringing. I look at the caller ID and don’t recognize it, so I start undressing. When it rings again, I contemplate ignoring it because it would be the smart thing to do. It’s what I’d usually do, but something pulls me to it, and soon I’m answering.

“Thea.” My name is sung into the phone.

I know that voice, and I know it well.

“Lucy,” I say, surprised.

“Yes. Look, Thea, I don’t have long. He’s on his way back.”

“Who, Lucy?”

“Sir…” she pauses. “I mean Atlas. He went out this morning, and I snuck one of the men’s cell phones. Listen, Thea, you need to get away. Don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about Atlas. Just go.”

“Lucy… I signed up to help because you stole from him.”

“I had to,” she screams.

“Lucy…” It’s always the same with her. She gets herself worked up into a state where you have to calm her down with a soft voice. “Calm down and breathe.”

“He likes you. And Atlas doesn’t like anyone,” she says between harsh breathes. “Honestly. He doesn’t like anyone, Thea, and he likes you. Run. Now.” Then she hangs up the phone before she says any more. Looking down at my cell, I want to call the number back, but I can’t because she rang from a private number. Grabbing my keys, I head out the front and start running straight to Lucy’s home. Reaching the stairs, I take them two at a time, and when I finally get to the front door, it’s shut. It’s not locked, which I didn’t expect it to be, as every other time I have come here it’s been open, so I head straight in to Lucy’s room and start going through her things. Her drawers consist of a lot of underwear and skimpy clothing. What the hell does she do when it gets cold, freeze?

My cell rings again, and this time I’m too eager to answer it. “Lucy,” I say, hoping it will be her again.

“So, she did ring you.” Atlas’s strong voice comes through, so I do the only thing I can think of, I