Chapter 42
Mia swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to force down the overwhelming wave of emotions that threatened to consume her.
She had told herself she was strong enough for this, but standing here, face-to-face with Alex Blackwell, she realized how fragile her resolve truly was.
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice shaky but firm enough to mask the turmoil inside. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his piercing gaze, so she stared at the pavement, the flickering streetlight, anywhere but him.
Alex chuckled, the sound low and cutting, like he found her question amusing. “You hate me. Good,” he said, his voice carrying a smugness that made her stomach twist.
To him, it was still a game. It had always been a game.
“What do you want?” she repeated, forcing herself to look up at him. Her heart clenched at the sight of his smirk-a devilish curve of his lips that only added to his infuriating charm.
“I want to give you this,” Alex said, pulling an envelope from his coat pocket and holding it out to her.
Mia stared at the envelope, confused and wary. “What is it?”
“It’s what I owe you,” Alex replied, his tone nonchalant, as though they were discussing something trivial.
Her confusion deepened, and she instinctively took a step back, shaking her head. “You don’t owe me anything.”
Alex tilted his head, his smirk widening. “Yes, I do. I promised you a certain amount of money to go on dates with me.”
Mia froze, staring at him in disbelief. Was he serious?
“And we didn’t-” she began, but Alex cut her off sharply.
“Yes, we did. Two dates, if I’m correct,” he said matter-of-factly, his eyes glinting with that infuriating mix of arrogance and
amusement.
“It was one,” she said firmly, her voice rising with frustration. “And that doesn’t even matter because I don’t want anything from you. Please, just leave me alone.”
Alex raised an eyebrow, his smirk unwavering. “It was two, plus the day at the hotel,” he said, his voice cold now. “You see, I hate feeling indebted to anyone-especially to people like you.”
His words hit her like a slap. People like you.
Mia felt the sting of tears threatening to fall, but she refused to let them. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“I can’t rest until I pay what I owe,” Alex continued, his tone laced with disdain. “You want me to leave you alone? Stick to your agreement, and you’ll become nothing more than a distant memory, a stupid bet and game. Take the money, Turner.”
She stared at the envelope, his words echoing in her mind. You’re Turner. A Turner trying to be modest?
The shame clawed at her insides, but so did the truth. She was a Turner. No matter how much she tried to distance herself from her family’s name, she couldn’t escape it. And he was right-she needed the money.
She didn’t know how much was in the envelope, but she knew it could help. It could cover a portion of her college fees, her one ticket out of this hellish town and the life she so desperately wanted to leave behind.
1/2
Alex was growing impatient, the smugness in his expression now edged with irritation.
Mia felt a fresh wave of shame wash over her, but she swallowed it down. If this bastard wanted to throw his money at her so badly, then fine. She’d take it.
Because she needed it more than she needed her pride.
With trembling hands, she reached out and took the envelope.
Alex’s smirk deepened, satisfaction dripping from every inch of his being.
“I’ve paid for my services, Turner,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery.
Then, without warning, he stepped closer, so close that Mia could feel the heat radiating off him. She held her breath, her heart hammering in her chest as he leaned in.
His lips brushed against her ear, his voice a venomous whisper. “It was the worst sex I ever had in my life. Something I will never ever do again even if the survival of the world depended on it”
Mia’s entire body went rigid, the words slicing through her like a blade. She clenched the envelope tightly in her hand, her nails digging into the paper as she fought to hold back the tears burning her eyes.
But she couldn’t stop them.
The first tear slid down her cheek, followed by another, and then another. She hated herself for it, hated that he could still make her feel this much.
Alex pulled back, his cold eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, he hesitated, his gaze flickering with something she couldn’t quite place. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
He turned and walked away, his hands in his pockets, his steps unhurried.
“Goodbye, Turner,” he said over his shoulder, his voice carrying an air of finality.
Mia stood there, rooted to the spot, her vision blurred with tears as she watched him disappear into the night.
Her heart ached, a deep, searing pain that left her breathless. She wanted to scream, to throw the envelope at his back and tell him to go to hell.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she clutched the envelope to her chest, the shame and anger and heartbreak threatening to drown her.
Because no matter how much she hated him, no matter how much she wanted to forget him, a part of her knew she never would.
