Page 157 of Save Your Breath

That hope that had ballooned inside of me surged so quickly I thought my chest would pop, and I was practically panting as I leaned forward in my seat, nodding. “I won’t tell a soul.”

“I’ll teach you, but I also get to use you,” she said. “Whenever and wherever I want. If I send a text, you come running.”

“Faster than I ever have in my life.”

“You don’t get to say no to anything until you try it at least once.”

My heart skipped with a mixture of fear and curiosity. “No backing down.”

“I mean it. No matter what I propose, you hear me out and try before saying yes or no.”

“Use me, Liv. I’m yours.”

She chuckled at that, a pathetic little laugh like she pitied me. Then, she opened the door and called for her assistant to come back in.

“We’re drawing up a contract, too,” she said, waving her finger at me. “And you’re going to take this seriously, or I’ll drop the whole thing and still take your money — which you will pay me up front, by the way.”

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Jesus,” she muttered. “You’re more eager than that puppy dog you adopted.

“Bark, bark.” I panted, too, for good measure, tongue flopping out before Liv shot me in the eye with the water pick.

“That’s enough. Now, lie back and open your mouth.”

“Wow, we’re getting started already, huh?” I rubbed my hands together as I did what she said.

But Liv ignored me, firing up the drill.

I thought it kind of looked like she had a little too much fun causing me pain.

I thought I kind of liked it, too.