A Way Out

Chapter 7

Today was my day off and boy did I need it. It had been exactly a week since I saw Donovan Dane, and I grew more anxious by the minute. He probably hated my work and was too embarrassed to tell me face to face. Today when I woke up, I had come to a point of acceptance. Acceptance of the fact that my writing dreams were too far out of reach.

Raleigh was at work, so I had the place to myself. She worried a lot about me and had even called Daley to tell him what happened. He stood on my doorstep that same evening directly after he finished work. He demanded to know what happened and asked where he could find Jake. I didn't want any more trouble, so luckily I was able to talk beating up Jake out of his head.

A knock on the door snapped me out of my train of thoughts and I got up to open it.

"Ms. Florence?" the man that stood in the door opening asked.

I raised my eyebrow at the unknown man. "Yes?" This man was here for formalities as his grey suit, neatly combed back hair and expensive watch on his wrist gave him away.

"Mr. Dane instructed me to deliver this to you personally," he said as he handed me an envelope. Of course, he was with Donovan Dane. I looked at the white envelope and then back at the man, wondering what this could possibly mean.

"What does it say?" I asked, taking the envelope.

The man shrugged. "I don't know miss. Have a good day." I watched as the man walked out of the hall before I closed the door with my eyes glued to the envelope. On it was my name and address written in black letters. I sat down at the table and placed the envelope in front of me. Shivers ran through me, because of this simple piece of paper. His move. This was his move.

Slowly, I picked up the envelope and opened it tentatively. As I took the paper out, my hands trembled. I'd given up, I stopped hoping, and now I had reason to hope again. These couple of seconds consisted of hope, of a chance to make my dreams come true. It all depended on this letter. This letter, which could be a rejection or an acceptance to a world I had been dying to explore.

I let out a shallow breath before opening the letter. My eyes scanned four handwritten words.

Your move, gem. Today.

"I'm home!" Raleigh shouted before slamming the door. The other sounds she made didn't register in my mind as my eyes kept on scrutinizing those four little words like they were an unfamiliar language. The last one stood out the most. 'Today'.

"What's that?" Without a warning, Raleigh had already snatched the paper out of my hands before I could realize it.

"Raleigh give it back," I begged, but by the smirk on her face, she had already read what's on the paper. I prepared myself for her questions as I straightened my back.

"Gem? And what will move today?" she asked while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively and shaking her shoulders.

"Raleigh! God! It's from Donovan Dane," I explained, grabbing the paper back from her.

She sat down opposite me at the table, and I saw a lightbulb going off in her head. "Isn't that the guy who got his hands on your work? The sexy one?"

I rolled my eyes at her. Every sexy man this girl remembers. "Yes, it's that one."

A grin appeared on Raleigh's face, and that usually wasn't a good sign. "I'm going to google him. I want to see what this piece of sexy looks like and my expectations are pretty high right now." She took out her phone and with that same grin plastered on her face, she started googling. "Donovan Dane, right?" I just nodded, surrendering to her curiosity.