Stay For Me - Megan Smith Page 0,43

just dismiss her and treat this woman no differently than I’ve treated all the other women I’ve done this with. I used her for my own release, on my terms, held my power over her for my own pleasure and she let me do it knowing the outcome. Brian controls Layla, uses her for whatever sick and twisted reasons he has, and she is allowing it. Yeah, I don’t physically hurt women but what I just did is honestly not much different. Fuck!

I sit down in the chair behind my desk, reach for the trash can before throwing up. I seriously fucked up.

Layla

It’s been almost two weeks and the bruises are finally gone. I haven’t returned to work because after I threw Eli out of my apartment I’m not really sure I even still have a job. Jaylinn has been calling me every day. I want to answer and every time I get up the courage to, I miss the phone call.

I haven’t heard from Brian, not a peep. I’m relieved and scared at the same time. This isn’t over, not by a long shot.

“Fallon,” I yell out. “We’re going to be late.” She peeks her head out of the bathroom door with a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. “Hurry.”

I finish making her a piece of toast, the last piece of bread we have. I put a little bit of jelly on it and wrap it in a napkin so she can eat it on the way to school.

Fallon has put her shoes on but they are on the wrong feet. I laugh, pick her up and set her on the couch. “Nice try.” I slip them off, put them on the right feet and double knot them. When I pull the last knot tight, the lace breaks off in my hand.

I look up to the sky and pray that I can catch a break soon. I sit and think for a second. I can’t send her to school like this, the girl needs her shoes tied. A thought occurs; I walk in mom’s room and grab a sneaker from her room to take the lace out of it. I swap it out with Fallon’s old one then put it back on and tie it up again.

“There, good as new.” She giggles as I tickle her. “Alright, let’s go.”

I walk Fallon to school a few blocks away in the rain. It’s holding true what they say, April showers bring May flowers. I feel like it’s been raining every day of this month so far.

“Alright, squirt, I’ll see you after school.” I say leaning down to her eye level.

“Bye.” She says leaning in to give me a hug.

On the way home a chill runs down my back much like it always does when Brian is around. The whole way I kept looking over my shoulder, afraid he was waiting for me to finish up on his promise but I never saw him.

When I get back home there is a letter sticking out of the mailbox. It’s too early for the mailman so I wonder what it could be. I grab it, head back upstairs, set my stuff down and then open the envelope that has nothing written on it.

I growl in the middle of this empty fucking apartment. It’s a notice from Jax that if he doesn’t have his money by the end of the week that he is going to the courts to get us evicted. “Just great.”

I rip up the letter and throw it in the damn trash can. I don’t have the money to pay him. I haven’t worked in almost two weeks so I have no money that I could even offer to him. I have no one to watch Fallon at night so that I can work. And no one to even ask for the money except for one person.

Mom hasn’t resurfaced either and in a way I’m thankful for that because if she hasn’t killed herself with drugs and alcohol I may do it with my bare hands.

Looks like I have one of two choices.

Accept Eli’s offer if it even still stands or go find Brian and tell him I’ll do whatever he wants but I need money to pay for the bills.

It’s kind of a no brainer; I know what I need to do. It’s time to step out of my comfort zone.

Eli

Pounding on my office door jars me awake, the sound is radiating through my head. I’ve had a constant buzz going