Their Paid Girl

Their Paid Girl - Part 14

          I gave her a bizarre look, thinking back on the torture that the car ride here had been. Something was going on, and I was utterly confused and floored.

          I come here to God knows where, only to find that I wasn’t the only one dragged here. Now, when I actually meet his parents, they’re completely sweet and clearly adore their son. Why on earth was I supposed to be rude to them?

          Mrs. Ferrell must have taken my bewildered look as either severe mental delay on my part, or exhaustion from the trip. Taking me by the hand, she led me upstairs to show me my room; as we passed Adam talking to his father, I threw him a sharp, suspicious look.

          I caught the subtle smirk he sent my way before his face went blank and he turned to his father again. I fought back a scowl, bitterly contemplating the things I was going to do to Adam in private. They were not thoughts that would have made a guy happy, let me put it that way.

          When I was finally alone in my enormous bedroom – Mrs. Ferrell had finally left, after showing me all the types of settings in their Jacuzzi – I flopped onto the bed. My headache was still there at the back of my mind, grating on my nerves and I was sort of beginning to panic.

          I finally released the scowl I’d been holding in. What was Adam doing to me? Was he crazy? Finally gone off the deep end? Who would want to hurt parents like the ones he had?

          Maybe you don’t know the whole story, a little annoying voice said in my head. I ignored it.

I couldn’t do this! Two tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes. I couldn’t brush off his mother’s timid tries to get to know me and watch her large blue eyes well up with hurt. I couldn’t destroy all these chances they were so ready to give me!

          My breathing got faster and shallower; I struggled to suppress memories that were sure to make me break down and cry my eyes out. Gritting my teeth at the wild emotions, I lunged for my bags, glad to have something to do. Violently, I unzipped my suitcase, watching my clothes explode out of it.

          A small black box tumbled out of it and clattered to the floor, rolling under the bed. My fake engagement ring!

          The meaning behind the ring was fake, but those amethysts on it sure as hell weren’t. I dove underneath the bed, scrabbling to grab at the box. It had flipped open and I saw the purple stones glinting dully underneath the mattress. Ring and box in hand, I prepared to wriggle out from underneath the bed – butt-first – just as I heard my door open and someone walk in.

          “Well, wow.”

          Head still under the bed, I scowled at his voice. When the rest of my body emerged, I turned around to glare at the jerk himself.

          He lounged against my doorway, looking infuriatingly calm and collected in contrast to my own frazzled appearance.

          I narrowed my eyes into slits. “Oh, sweet hell.”

          Adam ignored that. “You’re supposed to be having a bath.”

          “Oh so that’s why you came in,” I said scathingly, getting up off the floor and dusting myself off. The purple glint made me pause as I remembered the ring I was holding.

          Tenderly closing the box, I gently laid it onto my bedside table. Looking up, I was amazed to see Adam’s gaze on the ring, furious and cold. He caught me looking at him and he raised an eyebrow.