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Indi:

Indi: I’ll drop it for now but if you’re not back home in the next week, I’m coming to find you.

There’snothing I can type in time before she sends another message.

Indi: Did a billionaire sweep you off your feet or something? I went to the cafe. They said you hadn’t been at work either.

Me: I’ll explain later.

Indi: Yeah, okay.

Exhaling,I thumb over to the messaging app the cafe uses and hold my breath as I look through the thread with my manager.

Destiny:Hey, Delilah. Just checking in after your no show this morning. Everything good?

The next morninga similar message appeared.

Yesterday was supposed to be my day off.

Then there was this morning’s message. From me. Telling them I quit and wouldn’t be back at the cafe.

My fingers dig into the bezel of my phone until pain shoots to my wrists and I snap out of it.

Who sent this? Adonis or Victor? The text is colder than anything I would have written. Especially to the boss who put it all on the line for me to get hired.

“I like you,Delilah. You’re bubbly and you know how to talk to people,” Destiny says with a smile. “I’ll tell you what, if you can get your ID squared away and a background check from the sheriff’s office by the end of this week, I’ll put you on the schedule for a trial run. Sound good?”

The middle-aged woman’s kind words have me fisting the hem of my button up to contain my excitement as I nod. “Yes, that sounds more than good. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Destiny’s smile doesn’t slip as she nods. “Great. I’ll see you Friday morning then. Take care.”

“Thank you, Destiny. See you Friday.”

A muted squeal leaves me when I’m on the sidewalk. I did it. I fucking did it. I got a job. I don’t care that for the next three days, I have to walk in zigzags around Wildwood gathering documents. I don’t care that I’ll be walking thirty minutes a day to work until I have enough for a bus pass. None of it matters because it’s one step closer to the independence I’ve craved my whole life.

The night before I start, Indigo makes me her favorite ramen with all the fixings to celebrate and tells me she can give me a new haircut to celebrate my new job if I want…

Wetnesson my cheek and the emotion clutching my heart pulls me back to the present.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I swipe the tears from my face and stand, only to collide with Victor.

He doesn’t say anything, but the handkerchief extended in my direction says everything.

My voice is hollow and raw. “Thanks.”

“Of course.”

My soles only sink into the grass twice before Victor makes an announcement at my back.

“Mr. Samson will be expecting you downstairs for dinner at seven tonight.”

I don’t acknowledge his announcement or the fact that I can feel him two steps behind me as I stomp through the house back to my suite.

Victor posts up on the wall opposite my room and I slam the door before face-planting on the bed.

Then I unlock my phone to read the last message from Destiny and cry all over again.

Destiny: Hey, Lilah. Look, I hope everything’s good with you. I wish you had at least told us you wanted to quit. No hard feelings. We loved having you here and wish you the best with whatever you have up next. I know you’ll shine wherever you go. I’ll stop putting you on the schedule. Be good.