𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫

Chapter 3

Evangeline POV

He looked at me through the entirety of the night. His eyes never left me, and I have no idea why.

I'm currently walking on the sidewalk trying to get to the bus stop before all the weirdos and crackheads come out of their hiding places.

I'm not trying to be rude but it's true. They're always catcalling me. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I know I'm a stripper but that doesn't mean I want to be defiled and degraded.

I make it to the bus stop and start to slow down when I see a group of men standing there sharing cigarette.

I turn around and start to walk in the opposite direction before hearing a voice call out to me making me stop and turn around.

"Hey, where are you going?" Slurred the drunken man. Turning towards me, making all the other men turn to me.

Yuck.

"Um, sorry I don't feel comfortable talking to you." I said before speeding down the sidewalk.

If I had stayed there I have no doubt that I would've been raped or killed.

•••

Getting to my street I turn the corner and walk along the sidewalk.

I wince at the memory of the cab driver refusing to stop anywhere near my house much less my street.

Poorly lit pathways with an old and worn pavement. The houses here show their old age, with cracking paint, peeling wallpaper, broken windows, and rotten wood and rusted metal.

The once beautiful neighborhood has become a shadow of its past, left to slowly decay as everything falls to ruin around it.

I turn my head to see old lady Geraldine on her rotting, old, white rocking chair.

It seemed like she rocked all day and night on that thing. "Hi Mrs.Geraldine." I say waving my hand and giving her a smile.

She looked over to me, turned her nose up, and looked the other way. She hates me.

She hates anything that doesn't agree with her morals or values. Such as me being a stripper, the whole neighborhood knew. Thanks to my father.

The second I told him about my job he thought it would be a good idea to go around bragging that his daughter was 'making more money showing her tits than using her brain'.

It definitely hurt but at least he was proud of me. Or at least that's what he told me when he kicked me out after I got my first paycheck and told me to 'go get some more'.

I walk get to the front of my house and walk up the old rotten stairs.

I should really look into getting those fixed.

I take my key out of my purse and put it into the lock turning it trying to get the door open. I flinch when it doesn't.

Sighing hard I walk down the stairs, go to the side of the house and unlock to gate.

I open it and see the sleeping bag, bottle of water, and note laid out for me. I put my things down on the ground beside them before sitting down myself.

I pick up the note reading it.

'I haven't got this month's paycheck in the mail yet. Until you contribute to this household you can no longer be apart of it. You know I love you, I just need the money'.

Throwing the note to the side I rub my temples and get in the sleeping bag.

This isn't the first time this has happened. In fact this happens every time my check comes in late.

One night Roxanne had drove me home and the same thing happened and ever since then she's told me to come to her apartment if it ever happened again.

I usually go but I know that if I have to go all the way back to the other side of town I'll collapse somewhere.

Instead, I'm lulled to sleep by the sounds of the creaks and groans of metal and wood, as well as the distant sound of traffic, which can't drown out the depressing, almost dead silence around.

Leonardo POV

"Carla, please make a reservation for twenty beautiful wedding venues in Italy for the next two years." I say through the phone from my office.

"Leo please think about this. This woman doesn't even know you. Nor does she have any interest in doing so." Marcelo pleaded, trying to deter me from my actions.

"I don't hear you over the beautiful melody playing in my head that my angelo was humming." I say with a smile on my face.

"You're insane. I knew you were crazy but I never knew you had lost your mind." Marcelo says giving me an incredulous look.

"Marcelo please stop with the games, let's get serious. Will you be my man of honor?" I question standing up to stand in front of him.

"How are you gonna ask me if I'll be your man of honor if you haven't even asked the bride if she'll marry you!" Marcelo exclaimed grabbing at his hair.

"Stop being so dramatic Celo, we have work to do." I say sitting at my computer.