Within the throbbing heart of New York, I find myself entangled between Cain Maverick, the formidable gang leader, and Blaze Myers, my boss's pariah son.
Their silent advances leave me questioning if I'm just a pawn in their game.
Fueled by personal...
I haven't spoken to Cain since we all got back from the cruise. I continued to talk to Liz almost daily via text, and it seemed she had no idea about the last conversation I had with Cain.
After that, I couldn't bring myself to go back to his coffee shop, even though I longed for the cozy ambiance it provided. If I was being truthful with myself, I also missed Cain a lot. He was irreplaceable.
My days were filled with work and the occasional rendezvous with Blaze, though our time together always ended in my bed. He never stayed until the morning. Our relationship seemed to be solely based on physical pleasure, a temporary escape from the complications of my life. I tried to convince myself that maybe there was something more between us, but deep down, I knew it was just casual sex.
----- ♡ -----
Life was going smoothly, and I felt like nothing could go wrong. But then today happened. I drove frantically through the bustling streets, desperate to get home as quickly as possible. My mind was consumed with inner turmoil, causing me to be unaware of my surroundings and barely avoiding potential collisions.
My disbelief was overwhelming when Inferno Knight told me I was fired. I had always been a diligent worker, rarely taking breaks even when necessary. The sound of my boss's voice replayed in my mind and I couldn't comprehend how things had escalated to this point.
I made a point to never discuss work matters with anyone, so I was shocked when the press somehow got their hands on confidential information. The situation wasn't too dire, but it seemed like my boss's trust in me had diminished since the incident with the stolen cards. It didn't seem fair though; he couldn't just fire me for this. After all, he always reviewed any press releases that I prepared. My inner demons were starting to creep up on me, especially since I hadn't been taking my medication regularly. I really needed to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist, but it slipped my mind. Maybe now that I am unemployed, I will have more time to take care of myself.
I had almost convinced myself that everything was going to be okay, until I remembered the crushing weight of my rent and car payments. To make matters worse, I was suddenly without a job.
As I pulled into the driveway, I saw Hazel's car and let out a deep sigh of frustration. The last thing I wanted was to deal with my sister. Despite the chaos that had interrupted my life, I just wanted to spend my remaining days in this house in tranquility.
As I exited the VW, I made my way towards the house. However, my sister was waiting for me at the door with a look of annoyance on her face before I could even take a step inside.
"Where have you been?" she asked in a high-pitched voice identical to my mother's.
"At work," I replied sarcastically, wanting to get her out of here as quickly as possible. I needed to get the key back from her. The contract for the house was in my name; she was simply taking advantage of me.
"No, I mean a few weeks ago. I came home, and you weren't there. I even called you," Hazel continued, as I dropped my bag on the couch and headed to the fridge for a drink.
"I went on a little vacation," I replied, pulling out a can of Pepsi Twist. Then I turned to her, who clearly wasn't happy with the answer.
"Whatever. I need some money," she continued.
I mindlessly cracked open my soda can, avoiding eye contact with her. It was a struggle not to kick her out of my home. Even though it would have been simple to just give her some money and send her away, I didn't want to take that route.
"I don't even have enough money for myself.", I lied. In reality, I had a fairly decent amount saved up to sustain myself for another month, but it was best that she wasn't aware of that.
"What do you mean you don't have any money? How could you afford a vacation?", she asked.
"I don't think I have to explain my spending habits," I retorted, feeling the impact of Blaze's influence growing stronger. It had already seeped into certain aspects of my life, evident by the stash of joints and bags of cocaine in my nightstand drawer. Whenever he came over, we would indulge in them before getting intimate.
The response caught her off guard, and she quickly changed her approach, exposing her true intentions.
"You have to help me, just like I helped you when you were selfish and nearly killed yourself over a little breakup", she told me.
Her words cut deep, catching me by surprise. I had a feeling Hazel held some resentment towards me, but it was still hard to hear it confirmed.
"No, I don't. You're perfectly capable of working. I don't have to support you", I told her, taking a sip of my soda.
Similar to our mother, Hazel began to cry and argue with me. I didn't have the strength to handle it at that moment, so I confiscated her keys and escorted her to her car, which was also registered under my name.
Her sobs grew louder and more frantic, drawing the attention of curious neighbors who stopped to watch. I wasted no time and rushed to my car, driving away as fast as possible to escape the chaotic scene.
----- ♡ -----
Initially, I considered taking a drive around the neighborhood, but ultimately decided to go to the mall. Suddenly, I changed my mind and drove towards Blaze's animation studio. I quickly parked my car next to his and rushed inside. The events of the past 24 hours were weighing heavily on me, and I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.
I rapped on Blaze's office door but received no response. I assumed he wasn't inside, but I decided to try the door handle anyway. What awaited me behind the door was a sight that I never could have imagined.
As I got closer to him, I noticed he was deeply immersed in his iPad. It seemed as though he hadn't even noticed my presence. My curiosity got the best of me, so I leaned in for a better look. To my surprise, he was actually drawing. I stood there and watched him work, impressed by the intricate details he included in his drawings. I caught a glimpse of a character he was drawing - a fierce warrior with flowing silver hair and piercing blue eyes, standing valiantly against a backdrop of swirling flames.
It was the first time I had seen him focused on something other than his usual vices of women, alcohol, and drugs.
Feeling like I was intruding, I started to turn and leave, but he grabbed onto my hand to stop me.
Blaze's voice scolded me from behind, causing me to turn towards him.
"It's not very nice to leave without even saying hello," he chided.
"I apologize for interrupting your work," I said, motioning towards his drawings. "You seem to have a lot on your plate."
Blaze stood up from his desk and walked over to me.
"I'll always make time for you," he said with a smile. "We just met a few days ago, and now you're here. Is this your way of saying I didn't do a good job the first time?" He playfully placed his hands on my waist and pulled me in for a kiss.
"It's not that," I said, pulling back slightly as he nibbled on my lip. "I actually just want to go back to that club you took me to that night. But I don't want to go alone," I added, while Blaze raised an eyebrow in question.
"Why?" he inquired.
"I could really use a drink," I confessed. I was surprised when he didn't protest and instead grabbed his leather jacket, gesturing for me to follow him to his car.
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