Devil's Desire {A BWLM Novella}

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"Good morning, am I speaking with Athena Stacey?" The voice on the other end was way too cheerful for 9 a.m. Honestly, who even calls this early? I squinted at the clock, groaning. I was never up at this time if I could help it. Mornings and I had never been friends, and working late shifts didn't exactly help. Mama loved to tease me, "Welcome to adulthood, sweetheart," but seriously, if adulthood meant feeling perpetually exhausted, then I'd like a refund.

"Yeah, this is Athena," I mumbled, still half-asleep. "What's up?"

"This is Debbie Mathis calling from Aviator."

Aviator? I rubbed my eyes, trying to make sense of it. Was this some scam or one of those annoying sales calls?

"Aviator...?" I repeated, my brain struggling to catch up.

She laughed, this delicate little sound that made me feel like I was missing something obvious. "We're your loan servicer, dear."

Oh. Oh. Now she had my full attention. I bolted upright in bed, suddenly wide awake. "Right. Okay. What can I do for you?"

"If this is a bad time, I can call back," she offered, still all sweet and polite, like she wasn't about to drop some life-altering news on me.

"No, no, I'm good. Go ahead," I said, trying to sound composed while my heart pounded in my chest.

"Great! I'm calling to inform you that the account has been settled, and you no longer owe the... forty-two thousand dollars."

I swear I felt the earth shift beneath me. Forty-two thousand dollars. Gone. Just like that. My student loans—this massive, suffocating weight I'd been carrying—were suddenly lifted, and I didn't even know how to react. Tears pricked at my eyes, but I was too stunned to cry. Was this real? Was I dreaming?

"Wait, what?" My voice came out shaky, barely above a whisper. "Did you say... settled?"

"Yes, Miss Stacey. Your account is paid in full."

My mind was spinning. I'd been saving every penny, ready to tackle those loans. My parents never asked me for anything, even though I knew they were struggling. Dad's stroke had been hard on all of us, and Mama's salary barely covered the essentials. The thought of them taking out a second mortgage to help me—no, they wouldn't. They couldn't. Could they?

I managed to mumble a thank you before hanging up, my thoughts a chaotic mess. I couldn't sit still. I had to talk to Mama. I had to make sure she hadn't done something crazy to help me out.

I practically flew downstairs, my feet barely touching the steps. Mama was in her office, as usual, surrounded by stacks of papers. She didn't even look up when I burst in.

"Mama!" I blurted out, throwing my arms around her in a bear hug.

She startled, dropping her pen. "Girl, what in the world is wrong with you?" she laughed, patting my back. She smelled like coconut oil, just like she always had, a comforting scent that instantly brought me back to my childhood.

"Mama, thank you," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you."

She pulled back, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Scott!" she called out, a hint of concern creeping into her voice. "Something's wrong with our daughter!"

Dad appeared in the doorway, leaning on his cane, his tall frame filling the space like a protective shadow. Even after everything, he still had that quiet strength that made me feel safe. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice steady.

I turned to face them both, trying to keep it together. "Mama, Daddy, I appreciate you taking out another mortgage on the house just to pay off my student loans. But you didn't have to do that. I would've figured it out."