The Contract

CHAPTER 5: Phone Call to the Devil

Ever since Christian announced he was in a relationship, they've been swarming me nonstop.

By 'they', I mean the paps. By 'paps', I mean the no good, nosy, non-decent, I-want-to-know-you-to-get-money, fucking paparazzi.

I've lost count of the times I stayed in Becca's place to hide from them, the times that I restrained myself from punching the wall in frustration, the times I had to hold myself back from punching the ones flitting around in my face like a bunch of flies, the times Ben had to kick all of the people swarming me in the out, and of course the amount of times I ranted to Becca.

In the middle of my current rant Becca burst out laughing.

"What the hell are you laughing about Becca?" I growl at her as her laughter dies down, “WHAT IS THERE TO LAUGH ABOUT IN THIS INFURIATING SITUATION?!!"

She chuckles, "The fact that you never thought to approach Christian and ask him for help."

I gape at her.

She laughs, "What I was right?"

"How can I actually consider that? How can you think I would actually consider that?" I glare at her, "He told me to be rational when I was almost raped - which, by the way, was a very traumatic experience for me - he also had no regard of my decision when we were arranging the stupid contract-"

She interrupts me, "Then why did you accept his allegedly stupid offer in the first place?"

"You know why Beccs, I need the money."

"You know very well that Ben, my brother and I would help you no matter what right?" She slung an arm around my shoulder.

"I don't want to trouble you gu-"

"Bullshit, Krista." she says sternly, "We both know that this isn't that."

I open my mouth to protest, but she pushes me off the couch, "Now go and tell Christian your problems."

"Becca-"

"No. Go. Now." 

She starts pushing me out the door. "Don't come back until you've at least talked to him. I won't let you in nor talk to you until you have."

"We both know you’re not being serious, Becca."

She gives me the look. "Oh I am dead serious, Krista."

*-*-*-*-*-*

As I sit on the couch in my dumpy apartment I realize something crucial I forgot to get from Christian.

Any form of contact.

'You could've at least gotten his email, Krista' I scold myself upon realizing.

 I check the contract to see if he added some personal details in it. The whole twelve pages if I must add. 

And, for some unexpected reason, his personal numbers and emails were found on page 12 (the last goddamn page), paragraph 13. Under a subsection entitled 'Contact these', that was under a section entitled 'In Cases of Emergencies'.

Yes, that is how closely I looked at the goddamn papers.

I quickly program all the numbers into my phone, mentally preparing myself for a call with the devil.

'Here goes nothing.'  I call the first number. 

It rings twice before he answers, "Hello, Christian Reynolds speaking. How may I help you?"

I almost snort, he sounds like a receptionist.

 "It's Krista Ro-"

He abruptly cut me off, "Ms. Roberts, what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"