Page 82 of Edge of Heaven

Taryn

I waketo a hand on my breast, rubbing, kneading, hard enough to make me squirm.

“Stop,” I mutter.

“Come on, baby.” Callum’s voice is rough with sleep, but his intentions are clear.

Dread fills me.

He’s been insatiable the last few days, and I’m exhausted. Both mentally and physically. I just want to get the hell out, but between the payment for my phone, my credit card payment, and the health insurance premium my agent insisted upon, my account is at least a thousand dollars lighter than I’d hoped. Even with the money I know is coming in, I can only truly pay for one month of Toby’s treatment, which means I’m stuck here for at least that long.

I roll away from his touch. “I have to pee.”

Sometimes this is a good tactic because he’ll fall asleep while I’m gone.

I slide out of bed and hurry into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I lean against it and pull in a few shaky breaths. I don’t know if I can do this another month. He’s so hard to deal with. If he was even a little bit nicer, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. Before I started hating him, the sex was decent. Not the best but not horrible. He’s hung like a horse, so it didn’t take much to get me off.

Intellectually, I know I’m doing this for Toby, but I feel like a failure. Like the only way I can take care of my child is by prostituting myself. I’m not good enough of a model, or a mother, to get the money any other way.

And I’ve never been so ashamed.

“Hurry up!” Callum yells. “I’m hard.”

Tears fill my eyes and I quickly use the bathroom, wash my hands and face, and stare into the mirror. I look like hell, with dark circles under my eyes, bruises on my chest from the way he manhandles me, and I’ve never been quite this pale.

But Toby needs me, and since it appears there’s no stopping this, I pad back into the bedroom.

Callum is lying on top of the covers, naked, proudly stroking his erection.

I grudgingly get on the bed and have just reached him when his phone rings. He reaches for it, frowns, and then answers.

“It’s fucking ten in the morning—what?! That’s your job. Figure it out—wait, what do you mean it’s gone? How can it just be gone?” He listens again, his face getting red. Then he sits up and grabs his jeans from the floor next to the bed. “I’m coming down. Don’t fucking leave without me.”

“What happened?” I ask politely.

“They lost my fucking guitar,” he snaps. Then he turns and points to me. “You stay right fucking there, in that bed, naked. I’ll be right back.” He grabs his room key and wallet, shoves his feet into his boots without even lacing them up, and stomps out.

I throw myself down with a mixture of relief and dread.

I got a short reprieve but now, instead of getting it over with, I have to lie here and wait.

I’d shower but I’m tired.

A nap might be the best thing since I’m so exhausted.

I also need to call Toby, but I’m so tired.

I must have drifted off because when I open my eyes again it’s after noon—and I’m still alone.

I get in the shower and take the time to shave my legs since Callum is often rushing me to get ready. Today’s a day off so I’m not going to wash my hair—I’ll just put it up in a ponytail—or worry about any of my conditioning masks. That annoys Callum too, the plethora of toiletries I use to look the way I do. He says he understands but then uses it against me any time we fight.

Of course, he uses everything against me when we fight, and we fight a lot.

The door slams just as I’m putting moisturizer on my face and I quickly drop my towel—since he likes me naked—before padding into the main room.

“Did you find it?” I ask.

“Where did I tell you to wait for me?”

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