Heartbreak Me by T.L. Smith Page 0,41

to that.

Wrapping a towel around me for modesty, I fling open the door, and he is standing there pulling up his jeans. He looks at me, then away as he reaches for his singlet, pulling it over his head.

“Did you sleep with her?” I ask, cringing at the damn thought.

Atlas ignores me, shoving on his boots.

“Did you sleep with her?” I ask again, my patience growing thin. I grind my teeth as I watch him, waiting for a reply, or even a look so I can assess him. Instead, he collects his things and walks to my door, then looks back.

Goddamn! I hate myself for sleeping with him.

“No. Lucy and I never fucked.” Then he leaves.

I stand there, a fraction of a person I once was, and then go after him. The minute I see him getting into his car, I slam the front door shut and lock it.

No more Atlas Hyde in my life.

I’m jobless. I haven’t had this problem since I left school. And all weekend I do nothing but dream of amazing sex and wake up wondering what I’m going to do with my life now I no longer have my career.

When Monday rolls around, my alarm clock wakes me up, but I have nowhere to go. I have enough savings to last me for a few weeks without having a job, but after that, I am fucked. I will be kicked out of my house and have nowhere to go if the bank took it. Literally. My job, the one I loved so much, was my only income, and I have no family to fall back on. The only person I have is Tina, and her house is already full.

I should be searching for a job, but my mind won’t allow me to do anything. So, I do just that into the afternoon. Nothing. My cell rings, breaking the monotony, and I answer.

“Thea… I don’t know how to do this. Please come back.”

“She fired me, Marissa, you know I can’t. You can do it. And if you’re having any troubles, ring Chloe, I’m sure she can guide you through it,” I tell her, which is hard, but this isn’t my problem anymore.

“I have repeatedly called her, and when she bothered to answer she was either too busy or didn’t care about anything I had to say. How does she not care that her business is failing without you here?”

“Marissa, I would love to help you, but I just can’t. I can’t give that company any more energy that it doesn’t deserve of me. You get it, right?”

She pauses with a sigh. “Yeah, I do.” She says no more, simply hangs up.

I feel bad, but I am no longer their pawn to use and abuse.

Jumping on my computer, I finally decide it’s time to get my résumé up to scratch and spend the afternoon emailing it out to every job availability I can possibly find, and even to contacts who might have something for me.

When a knock comes on my door, I ignore it. The only person who could be knocking is him, and I don’t want to talk to him. He is the last person I want to communicate with.

“Theadora…”

Okay, that’s a girl’s voice.

I get up from my couch and open the door. Atlas’s girl with the glasses is standing there, her eyes downcast as she reads something on her cell. When she looks up, she looks relieved at first, then angry. “Were you planning to ignore me?”

“Yes,” I answer with a fake smile.

“Okay, well, thank you for your honesty, I guess. But I didn’t come here to be sassed.” She hands me a piece of paper and smiles before she turns to leave.

“What is this?”

“Your instructions are on the card.” She walks off, and I tear open the card.

When I open it, I see it is an invitation, and it says it’s a requirement.

Fuck!

Dress is fancy, and he asks me to wear heels. A car will be here to pick me up in a few hours.

I’ve never gotten an invitation before. Closing the front door, I contemplate how I should try and get out of it, but I know better.

I need my sister back.

And once I have her, Atlas Hyde will no longer be in my life.

Atlas doesn’t come to collect me. Some man does, and he asks for my cell before I climb in the car. I clutch it, unsure if I should give it to him or not. I sure as shit don’t