Page 14 of Love Me Not

“Let me go do some math,” I said as I stood.

“Uh-oh.She’s doing math, everyone!”

I shot Erin a half-hearted glare as the others snickered.It wasn't a secret that I was shit at math.I liked to blame it on the fact that I didn't go to college, but in reality, I hadn’t paid attention to algebra or geometry or literally any math class I’d ever had since I started going to school.

“Come back to finish your dinner before it gets cold!”Harmony called after me.

“Will come back in a bit!Just give me a second!”

“It'll probably take at least an hour,” Erin teased.“Might as well put it in the microwave so she can heat it up later.”

I pushed into my room and shut the door behind me, leaning against it with a sigh.The room was barely big enough for a twin bed and a small desk off to the side where my five-year-old computer was.As soon as I got myself together, I sat down on the rickety chair and pulled up my bank statement, the calculator, and my calendar.

I added up the huge medical debt left from my parents’ accident, all four years of Lucas’s schooling, and how much it would take to move my entire life.

I didn't know what school he would choose.I had to do a quick search and see what the average cost of tuition was per year, and the number was high.I even added a twenty percent buffer on his yearly tuition after realizing that he would need textbooks and clothes and a place to live.

The money in my bank account was good… But after actually putting everything to paper, it started to feel like it wasn’t enough.

The more I added, and even without factoring in any of my monthly expenses, the more I realized quitting now probably wasn’t my best bet.

Fuck.

Maybe it would last me a few months—a year even—but after that I would be stuck in the same situation.I would be back to working to make ends meet, and if Lucas needed anything else while he was in college, I would not be able to help him or myself.

I can always go back to the club…

I put a stop to that thought.It’s not that I wouldn’t like to, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go back and find myself in a room with someone other than… her.

I needed the job.No matter how much I didn't want it, there was no denying that I still needed it.

One more job.Just one more that would hopefully last me a while so I could save up.Get away from my overcontrolling boss who paid me literally pennies on the dollar.Then I could go.

I dialed my boss again, and she picked up on the second ring.

Just one more job, and that's it.

“I’ll take it.”

Chapter4

Lux

Any minute.She’ll be here any minute now, and then I can finally have a bit of my peace back.

I looked at the hands on my watch as it counted down the seconds.Bella was in the backyard again, this time thoroughly ignoring me.It was better this way.

Today was the day that I finally got a new nanny.

I had decided not to sue the nanny company because they assured me this was the right one.

And it wasn’t like the other nannies were horrible—I mean, if I was being painfully honest, they weren't that great—but Bella wasn't the easiest to deal with.

She didn't want any of them.Hell, sometimes it felt like she barely even wanted me.She would try everything in her power to get them to quit.

But we couldn't do that anymore.

I didn’t like the rift between us, but I needed my time.I had a company and businesses to run.I needed to make money.For both of us.And I couldn’t do that if I was forced to be around her twenty-four seven.

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