y's

ush my chest out so h

s in attracting men. I am once again

ust so pr

ing you lik

ir to the side. My shoulde

up to meet mine f

starts to chuc

me off guard- my

e says. "But the question is,

h, giving him the sweet girl a

inger along the rim of my empty gla

owing. "You look like the kind of troubl

ease. He's good. I'll give him that. He smel

n when they kn

We keep exchanging teasing remarks,

off guard from my false display an

while since th

something

pletely shifts

his small sm

re free

't li

e. Like he's analyzing eve

p lau

for the first time to

al it nearly knocks the

my wife? I'll

bl

s out. Did I hear him right? I quickly re

areful and u

e me,

heard

o me, resting those mus

n his deep set eyes

e between us. "You'll have more money than you'll

t my doubts down, he

dollar bills. In a very swift motion,

e I tried to s

ree

fair share of men trying to buy my att

ands, no slurred promises of "taking

an is

d adjusts his jacket. "My team will contact y

e but pauses, lo

," he says. "A common one,

oat suddenly dry.

asked for

s

of his lips. "Vincent Bla

taking the dark, bro

zen, my mind rac

hell just

ments before I sn

the money from my chest and

I stand up. I sigh, ignoring

to go

g is quiet. I can't hear any noise ex

en better days. There's a pile of blankets

not to thi

le of our shabby room and drag at my hair. As m

ent

rop

ne

y

t think of

bed without pul

answer them. I don't even have the answers for that. Very so

A

crash wak

chest as I turn to find my mother o

er side. I try to lift her, b

er in it is evident. She shoves a stash of

tif

h

om, I d

eyes filled with disgust. "You're just like your fat

ike that," I say, my voice shak

her frail hands surprisingly

ing back the hurt. The

choes through

ree

s probably the landlord," sh

fixing my hair before crack

in suits st

omach

ke the rest but bald with dark shades covering

, that's me. Listen, if this is about rent, I promise w

flatly. "I'm here to deliver legal documents from Mr.

nd struggling to proc

s me th

hem, my eyes cat

sum of

Single.

dollar signs would be

say, gripping the

le my signature on every page befor

ew

face and let out a sque

going to

gaze burns into me

her

, this time with irr

n't flinch. "You need

nk. "

me to waste. You have one

. my mother. I can't

not our

from behind me. "Go," she spits. "

dial my friend, Trisha. "I need a nurse a

bag and stepped outside, a slight jump with eac

ing cold presses against my

indf

at

rs my nose, s

held down; everything goes