Page 11
Charley glanced up at the clock when she heard the doorbell ring.
It wasn’t like Keely to be early for anything.
However, this was a special occasion. Her friend was beyond excited that they were finally going to the club.
She had fielded over a dozen calls, confirming all the details and a promise that she wouldn’t back out.
It was fair. If Charley could’ve come up with a sure-fire excuse not to go, she would have used it.
Unlike Keely, Charley was dreading tonight.
She’d taken Elodie up on her offer and stopped in the shop.
It was still closed for renovations, but the workers had all left for the day.
The stock was being stored in the apartment above the store.
They’d tried to organize it, but it took a while to sift through the inventory.
Charley knew most of the pieces, but they’d recently gotten in a few dresses.
She had a specific design in mind. It had to have a mock turtleneck to cover her bruising.
Unfortunately, they hadn’t faded as quickly as she would’ve liked and were too dark to cover with makeup.
Charley found a simple black dress with a high neck and brought it home.
She’d tried it on, but it was a bit too much for her.
While it did cover her neck, it was skintight, accentuating all her curves.
She probably could’ve overlooked that aspect had it not been for the large circular cut out on the back.
It dipped dangerously close to her ass. She had a more conservative style.
She opted for a pair of black pants and a pink blouse that matched her scarf.
She walked down the hall, passing her brother’s room. She was still in the process of packing his stuff into boxes. Her eviction deadline was coming up fast.
Charley opened the door and immediately tensed.
Her brother’s choice in friends was much like some of his life choices.
Bad. Her brother didn’t have many, but of the few, Zeke was her least favorite.
There was something about him. A shadiness.
Weren’t all drug dealers shady? Charley had long suspected his connection to her brother.
His random appearances always coincided with Cody’s relapses.
It’d been mere speculation without an ounce of proof.
Until now. Perfect timing, Zeke. Asshole.
Charley tightened her grip on the handle. “He’s not here.”
“Where is he?”
“Rehab.”
Zeke stiffened. “What? Since when?”
“Last week.”
Zeke’s jaw squared, and he ran his hand through his hair, muttering, “Shit.”
“Well, bye.” Charley started closing the door, but Zeke slammed his hand against the door, keeping it open.
“He was holding something for me.” He stepped through the door without invitation and looked around the living room. “Mind if I get it?”
Yes, I mind. Who did he think he was barging into her home?
“What exactly is it ?”
“Just something of mine. He had it his room.” Zeke started down the hall to her brother’s room, and she rushed behind.
“Wait, Zeke, you can’t just…”
“Charley!” She spun around and saw Keely rushing through the door, practically bouncing on her toes. “Are you excited? I’m so fucking excited! We are going to have the best night of our lives. Epic. Historic. A night we’ll be telling our friggin’ grandkids about!”
Oh Jesus! She held up her finger and raced to her brother’s room. Zeke was sifting through the dresser, and when she looked at the closet, it had been ransacked. What the heck? He’d been in Cody’s room less than ten seconds.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s not here.” Zeke slammed the bottom drawer, jerking around and scanning the room. “Where the fuck is it, Charley?”
“Where’s what? I don’t even know what you’re looking for.”
He stalked forward with an angry glaze in his eyes.
She’d only been around him a handful of times, and while she hadn’t liked him, he’d never scared her.
Shady, yes. Dangerous? No. I was wrong. She hurried to the door, but he shoulder-checked her, forcing Charley against the wall.
He hovered over her, and his lips twisted in a snarl. “Where the fuck is it?”
“Charley! Where’d you go?” Keely’s voice was off in the distance.
“Who’s that?” Zeke snapped in a hushed tone.
“My friend.”
He eyed the door. “Need you to call your brother.”
“I can’t.” Her voice shook slightly.
“Why the fuck not?”
“He’s in rehab. I have to wait for him to call me, and they said it’ll probably be weeks. They want him to get acclimated to the program.”
His gaze darkened. “You better find a way to get a hold of him and find out where my stuff is. I’m coming back, and when I do, you better have my shit. If you don’t, you’re gonna have a big fucking problem, Charley.”
“Zeke, I…”
He slammed his fist against the wall, inches from her head. On instinct, she covered her face with her hands and cowered. Fear raced through her veins, and her entire body trembled. She peeked her eyes open to see Zeke storm out of the room.
A few seconds later, Keely poked her head inside, peering around. She scanned her face, and her eyes widened as she rushed forward.
“What’s wrong? You look pale.” Keely’s gaze dropped to her neck, and she gasped. “Did he do that to you?”
Shit. Charley grabbed her neck.
“I’m calling the police.”
Two visits from the police in less than two weeks? There was no doubt her neighbor would report it to the landlord, and he’d force her out on the spot. As of now, she was struggling to afford a place with few leads. She couldn’t risk being homeless.
When Keely reached for her phone, Charley grabbed her wrist. “He didn’t do anything, I swear.”
Keely furrowed her brows and pointed to Charley’s neck. “Then who did that?”
Charley flattened her lips, and Keely’s gaze darted around the room. “Where’s Cody?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. There was no getting past this without answering her.
“Rehab.”
Keely squinted, pointing to her neck. “Cody did that, didn’t he? I’m gonna beat the shit out of him.”
“Keely, you can’t.”
Keely scowled, eyeing her neck. “You’re right, I can’t. So I’m gonna get Kill and Jay to do it.”
This was the last thing she needed right now. Charley drove her hand through her hair, tugging at the ends.
“That motherfucker. After all you’ve done for him, and he…”
“Can we just not?” Charley bit the inside of her mouth, stalling.
The last thing she wanted to talk about was her brother and the surrounding events.
“Not tonight. It’s been a really bad week, and I’d like to forget about most of the things that happened.
” Charley was on the verge of tears. Everything was catching up to her.
And now the situation with Zeke. She needed a well-earned break.
She straightened and gave her body a little shake. Once her emotions were under control, she forced a smile. “We have such a fun time ahead of us. I just want to focus on our night out. Please?”
Keely nodded, whispering, “Okay.”
Charley felt a sense of relief. It was short-lived.
“But just so we’re clear, when Cody comes home, I’m kicking his ass.”
“Keely…” She moaned.
She held up her hand. “Fine, I’m letting it go. Alright, well, let’s get changed. Come on.”
Charley furrowed her brows, looking down at her outfit. Before she could say a word, Keely narrowed her gaze, making it clear she didn’t approve of her outfit choice.
“You’re not wearing that.”
“I’m not?”
“What?” Keely snorted. “No, Charley. We’re going to a club, not grocery shopping. Listen, if you want to impress this guy, Nash, then you’re going to have to wear something that’ll get you noticed.”
Ugh, why did I tell her? It was a weak moment, and they’d been sharing.
A girls’ night involving a lot of laughs, a few secrets, and way too much wine.
She’d opened up more to Keely in that one night than she had with anyone else her whole life.
And the most interesting topic of conversation was Nash.
She’d even mentioned having a sex dream about him.
It was all in fun, and Keely had shared far more than Charley. Where was the harm? Right here and now.
“I’m not trying to impress anyone. I don’t even really know him.”
After the debacle a few days ago, Nash was the last person she wanted to see. Her face immediately heated thinking of their interaction.
“What better way to get to know someone than dancing, drinking, possibly making out?” Keely wiggled her brows. “Sex in a bathroom? Hell, he already knows what you think of him.”
Charley had shared with Keely in hopes her friend would show some mercy and not want to put her in a position to run into Nash at the club. It didn’t work.
“Ughh, I’m never telling you anything again.” Charley groaned, covering her face with her hands.
Keely laughed, prying Charley’s hands away from her face. “Do you know how many guys would kill to know exactly what us women think of them?” Her lips twitched. “And you gave it to him.”
Yes, I did.
“I can’t believe I said all that to him.”
Keely chuckled. “Neither can I. Wish I had seen it.”
Charley dropped her hands to her sides. “It was mortifying.”
Keely grinned. “It was honest. And while I’m no expert on the thoughts of men, I think telling a guy that he’s successful, handsome, and well-dressed beats the alternative.” Keely arched her brow. “You dress like trash, you dumbass dick!”
“I can’t see him again, Keely.”
“You probably won’t. According to the girls I work with who’ve been to the club, it’s almost twice the size of The Bowery and double the people. Your chances of seeing him there are slim to none.”
That was reassuring. Slightly.
“Just promise me, if we do run into him, you won’t do or say anything.”
“I promise. I got your back, girl.” Keely smiled, dropping her gaze to Charley’s outfit. “You still can’t wear that. Didn’t Elle gift you an outfit?”
Charley nodded. “I have one, but it’s really short and tight.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11 (Reading here)
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53