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Mr. Soren stands up and grabs his coat from the coat rack by the door. He looks at me expectantly. I turn and hesitate before grabbing the knob. I’ll have to wash my hands as soon as I get home.
I step out of the office into the warm evening air. I look down the sidewalk at my door as Mr.Soren walks to his car. I take a deep breath and head to my apartment. As soon as I put the key in the lock the door swings open. Izzy is staring at me.
“Well? What did he say?”
I swallow and close the door behind me as I walk inside. As much as I want to protect her from all the horrible possibilities of the world, it’s gotten to the point that I simply can’t. So I sigh and look at her.
“We have to be out in two weeks. The new owners aren’t taking over the apartment building. They’re bulldozing it.”
Izzy’s jaw drops.
“What? Are they allowed to do that?” The only thing I can do is nod. Izzy frowns before rushing toward me and wrapping me in a hug. “What are we going to do, Addy?”
I stare at the wall over her shoulder. I wish I had a good answer for her.
“I don’t know.” I extricate myself from her grasp and smile. Then I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I’m going to figure it out. Don’t you worry.”
I kiss her forehead before walking slowly to my room. I have to keep moving or else I’ll collapse. Once I’m in my room I go numbly to the adjoining bathroom and turn on the shower. Then I peel off my clothes and climb inside, sitting on the ground while the falling water drowns out the sound of my tears.
Chapter Seventeen
Carter
“Hurryupinthere!”A man shouts from the other side of the door, pounding on it urgently. I turn off the faucet and shake the water from my hands. How many times do I have to tell Court that the club needs a multi-stall bathroom? It’s obvious, and yet, here we remain with a single person bathroom. I mutter under my breath and pull the bathroom door open.
The man on the other side blanches and pulls his hand away from the door. He looks away bashfully.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Carter. I didn’t… I wasn’t…”
“Just shut up and go piss,” I respond, side stepping the man easily. I can feel his eyes on me as I hurry back onto the crowded club floor. It’s much more crowded than I expected it to be tonight. There’s nothing in particular going on this evening. I take a quick look around before slinking into my brother’s office. He looks up and grins when he sees me.
“What can I do for you today, Mr. Castle?” Court says in a high falsetto. I clap him on the shoulder and drop into the seat in front of him.
“I’ve given a lot of thought about what we discussed the other day, and I’ve decided that I want to do it.”
Court’s face brightens and he leans in.
“I’m so happy to hear you say that. This will be really great for everyone involved, I promise.”
I hold my hand up and he stops speaking.
“That’s not all. I talked to Addy about it. She’s the one who told me it was a good idea. I’m going to start a charity in Elise’s name. One that will help women pay for screening and treatment of cervical cancer. So I’m not going to speak as a representative of the club. I’ll be speaking on behalf of the charity.”
Court looks over me before nodding, a smile spreading across his face. He nods in approval.
“I think that’s a great idea. What’s the charity going to be called?”
I smile and look up at the silly painting of the dogs playing poker. The many conversations I’ve had with my lawyer helped influence the name of my charity. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do this alone, which is why I’ve assembled an entire team dedicated to helping me start this charity.
“It’s going to be called the Elise Castle Foundation for Women. I’ve been working with a lawyer to help set it up.”
Court grins and stands up, holding his hand out for me to shake. I don’t hesitate to stand up and shake his hand before pulling him into a hug.
“Thanks for the idea, man. I think that this cause is what’s been missing in my life.”
“Have you found someone for marketing yet?”
I shake my head.