Page 20 of Vows In Corruption

“I love you. You are the best big sister ever.”

“I know. You’ve told me a time or two. But you make it easy being the best little sister ever.” I say to her, my smile copying hers. “Now get out of here and get to school on time. We’ll talk more when you get home about Saint Christopher.”

“Okay!”

There’s a bounce to her step as she leaves the kitchen to grab her book bag and that bounce is still there when she comes back and heads out the front door.

She looks so damn happy. I wish I could be that happy with her but the second that the door to our apartment closes, a big wave of worry washes over me.

I just told my sister that she is going to a private school that I’m sure cost more than anything I will ever own, all the while we don’t even have food in our fridge to last us until the end of the week.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid.

I don’t even have a full-time job for crying out loud, no stable income to even secure rent for the next three months, and yet I told her yes to a school that cost a fortune and I won’t be going back on my word.

She will be going to that school and I will do anything and everything to keep her there.

Dancing is starting look better and better by the second, I’m not going to lie.

I should look at the job boards again to see if anything new has been listed before I start picking out my stripper shoes.

Maybe the email from Lane Enterprises has finally hit my inbox.

Maybe, but I highly doubt it.

Letting out a sigh, I clean up the messy kitchen, make a list of groceries that won’t make my bank account weep and finally call the super to come and check out our dryer and shower.

Once all that is said and done, I head back to my room and throw myself on my bed.

I shouldn’t have gone back to school, even if it was an online program. I could have saved that money to pay for Saint Christopher’s instead of wasting it on a master’s degree that apparently isn’t enough to get a job in the real world.

But I wanted to be selfish for once and do something for me. Now it’s biting me in the ass.

Stop with the petty party and do something to better the situation.

Half the time my brain thinks of the stupidest shit, but right now it’s right on the mark.

With a groan, I sit up and grab my laptop.

The screen is frozen where I left it.

If I didn’t want to check if Charlie forwarded me the email from Saint Christopher while she rode the bus, I would leave the screen as is and not even touch the computer for a whole week.

Not wanting to think about it more than I already have, I hit refresh for what could be the two-hundredth time today and watch as the screen populates.

One second passes. Then two.

Five seconds after I hit the refresh button, the screen shows my inbox again but this time instead of saying no new messages, two messages pop up at the top of the screen.

One from Charlie with the forwarded acceptance email.

And another that says that its from the hiring department at Lane Enterprises.

No fucking way.

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