Page 60 of Feel Free to Scream

“So, if I charged a round trip to Michigan to go see my grandmother for her surgery next week…”

“I’d suggest you book first class. It’s never pleasant to travel so much in a few days.”

I hear my own intake of breath.

My brain has stopped functioning.

“I still want to work. To babysit,” I reword. I’m not going to take a second part-time job if it’s not necessary. “I need…”

My own money, to squirrel away for when his insane generosity stops. Because itwillstop. I can’t get used to all my finances being sorted out for me. I need to keep a semblance of normalcy in all this madness.

“Lisa will be delighted to hear it,” he assures me. “Claudio says dinner will be ready at eight, tonight, by the way. A little later than usual—but he’d planned on doing a surf and turf Wednesday, so he had everything on hand for your steak. Come downstairs in an hour? The dining room is next door to the study. You know the way.”

* * *

Ispend the next hour alternatively pacing the room and throwing myself on the bed. The duvet is so comfortable, it might as well be made of clouds and happiness. I don’t trust it, so here I am again, walking the length of the room.

Occasionally, I look at the credit card. It’s still in my hand, solid. It exists.

It takes a good thirty minutes for me to decide to try it. Except, my phone in hand, I don’t know what to buy.

He told me to decorate. This place is absolutely gorgeous, but the monochromatic dark colors aren’t me. I google pink cushions, and scan through the results.

But I don’t need fucking cushions! I don’t need anything. This room is perfect as-is.

I’m pacing again.

Eventually, I pinpoint the problem.

I was given the room. I have a credit card. I have the damn brass key-ID thing. But I haven’t done a single thing to pay for it yet, have I? Yesterday doesn’t count. That was another deal, one with the board, not Keller directly.

I’m flushing all over.

Nothing’s free in life.

…come inside one of your holes twice a day.

Why hasn’t he gottenstartedwith that already? I’d feel less out of control if he had. I’d know what to expect.

You know. He did it yesterday.

My insides start to tense as all those memories yet again come to the forefront of my mind.

Seven fifty-five. I start to make my way downstairs.

There are only two doors on the left of the elevator, and I know the first is the study, so finding the dining room is easy enough. Feeling awkward, I knock before pushing the door.

I don’t know what I expected, but that isn’t it. The room is as fashionable as the rest of the house, and in its center, around one of those tree trunk tables, are a dozen students, anywhere from my age to Keller’s. A pretty blonde in clothes almost as formal as mine, a dark-haired guy in glasses, a bulky blond who reminds me of a younger, beardless Thor. I recognize Keller’s cousin, Sebastian, as we were briefly introduced on Saturday. The buxom girl with baby-blue hair who had been on his lap sits next to him, Keller at her right. There’s an empty seat next to him.

Everyone’s chatting, laughing, barely paying attention to my entrance.

I wave skittishly.

The blonde is the first to greet me. “You must be Claire. It’s nice to have another girl in the tower.” She grins at the blue-haired girl across the table. “I mean, officially. You don’t count, Tia.”

She stands and offers me a hand. “I’m Calla Beaufort.”

“Oh. Claire. You already knew that.” Rather than embarrass myself further, I shake her hand.

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