Page 6

“You can’t leave. Not today. Not tomorrow.” Simon’s voice was neutral as he moved to the coffee maker and slammed another coffee into the machine, lowering the lid with more force than necessary.
“Why?” Her eyes popped open to give him a surprised look.
His eyes glued to his steaming mug of coffee, he sat across from her on another stool, lifted the spoon from the table and added a small amount of cream to his coffee. “You’ve been evicted.”
Coffee sloshed over her fingers as she jolted in shock, her eyes flying to his face, momentarily stunned. “That’s not possible. Lydia pays the rent. She gets my share every month.” She reached automatically for a napkin in the center of the island to clean her fingers, the pain of the superficial burn not even registering because she was too shocked by his statement. Was it a joke? Was his sense of humor completely twisted? Didn’t he know that it wasn’t nice to tease a near-destitute woman over that sort of thing?
He finally met her gaze, his eyes grim and holding a touch of sympathy. “I’m afraid your roommate has fled. All that were in the apartment late last night was a few boxes that contained some of your school documents, birth certificate, and other paper items.”
Kara’s hands started to shake and she twisted them together on the marble counter. It couldn’t be true. It wasn’t true. “There has to be some mistake.”
“It’s no mistake. My assistant checked with the landlord early this morning. Your roommate was evicted, has been going through the eviction process for some time. Yesterday was the last day.” Simon took a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving hers.
OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod! Kara’s mind raced as she took in the implications of his revelation. No place to live. No possessions. What the hell?
“There has to be some mistake,” she whispered, her gaze landing on the coffee mug.Please let it be a mistake. There was no way she could catch up the rent or replace her possessions. “What about my things, my clothes?”
“Your roommate was thorough. There was nothing there except a few boxes.”
“It had to be the wrong place.”
“It’s the right place, Kara. I’m sorry.”
Simon rattled off the address and the name of her landlord and roommate. “Everything correct?”
Tears filled her blue eyes as she nodded, unable to speak past the knot in her throat. Dear God…she had been balancing on a tightrope for years, without a net, and now she was plunging to her death just as she neared the end of the rope.
She rarely communicated with Lydia, but she never thought her roommate was capable of something like this. They were cordial to each other, but Kara was only home at night to study and sleep, making her encounters with Lydia sporadic. She left her portion of the rent and utilities on the tiny kitchen table every month, never doubting that her roommate used it to pay their bills. Apparently, she hadn’t. “This is not happening,” she choked out, feeling as if her whole world had just shattered. And actually, it had. Just a few words-one disaster, one betrayal-was all it took to bring her life falling down around her.
“You okay?” Simon asked hesitantly, sipping his coffee and watching her cautiously.
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” she breathed incredulously. “I have to think.” What to do. Where to live! How to survive? She pushed the coffee cup away and buried her head in her arms in front of her. Dear God…she was destroyed.Think, Kara. Think.“I didn’t know. How could I not know?” she asked Simon, but mostly herself really, as she tried to understand how this could happen.
“Your roommate dropped out of school last semester. Apparently, she hid everything so that she could still collect your money up until she had to leave,” Simon answered, his voice edged with anger. “I’m sorry, Kara. You have enough on your plate without this happening.”
She raised her head and her confused, fear-filled gaze met his angry eyes with surprise. He was angry. At Lydia. At the circumstances. Simon obviously did have a heart. “E-everything is gone? The furniture, my bedroom stuff, my other belongings?” she stammered, tears choking her throat.
“The only boxes left were brought here by my assistant, Nina. They’re on the bed in the guest room,” he said gravely. “I checked everything out, Kara. It was legal. Your roommate took everything on the very last day. If you had gone home last night, you would have found an empty apartment. I’m glad you were spared that particular late-night surprise. Nina gave the key back to the landlord. The locks were due to be changed. You can’t go back there.”
No home. No bed. No place to go.
Despair and loss welled up inside her and she suddenly couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Silent tears rolled from her eyes and all she could think about was the last four years of struggle and hardship. For nothing. All for nothing. She’d end up in a shelter, if she could find an available spot. School would have to wait until she could get back on her feet.
“No. Oh, God, no.” She sucked in a deep breath, trying to squelch her panic, but she couldn’t.
Her body heaving, her hands over her face, Kara Foster did something she hadn’t done since the death of her parents.
She wept.
The ice around Simon’s heart cracked just a little as he watched the totally despondent, forlorn woman in front of him break down in tears, her hopeless sobs twisting in his gut.
Fuck! If he could locate her worthless roommate, he’d make her pay for every bit of pain Kara was suffering right now.
Unable to stop himself, Simon went to her and gathered her body against his own, lifting her into his arms with careful tugs until she came to her feet and put her arms around his neck, turning her face against his chest. He could feel her body quivering, her smaller form plastered against his own, keening her misery against his shoulder.
“Shhh…Kara. It will all be okay. I’ll take care of you.” Simon ran a hand down her silky black hair, knowing that he meant every word. It wasn’t just something he was saying to quiet her, take away her pain. He wanted to take care of this woman who had seen more than her share of bad luck and hardship, bearing it with admirable strength. She was special, and her tears nearly undid him.
He took a deep breath and tightened his arms around her waist, splaying one hand along her slender back, moving the hand in soothing circles to calm her. She felt so good, so right in his arms. His cock twitched as he breathed in her alluring scent. She smelled like spring and Kara-au natural, enticing smell that made his mouth water.