Page 20 of Brat Baby
She shoots me a bunch of dollar bill emojis and then a thumbs-up back.
Smiling at my phone, I swipe out of her thread back to my inbox and go to close the app, but my gaze catches on the preview text from my last message with Darcy.
Have an amazing day today, princess.
Wait… it’s Tuesday. Isn’t today the day we’re supposed to go on our first date?
I tap on the message, and yep. Thai Orchid at seven. Blowing out a heavy breath, I relock my phone and stuff it into the back pocket of my denim skirt.
I have to assume it’s canceled, right? My hand twitches at my side, wanting to reach for my phone to text Darcy to ask if tonight is still happening, but that would break the no-contact rule.
Dammit. Why does this have to be so difficult?
I need to examine the facts.
We have a signed contract for the next six months, which I think is now terminated? That part is unclear to me. We are done, according to Derek’s words yesterday morning, but Xavier has messaged me and one of them sent me a laptop. So are we really done?
And the reason they have gone no contact is because I never said I was a student, not to mention that I go to NU. But they never asked. If that was a requirement, why wasn’t it in the contract?
I put those thoughts on ice, because I’m pretty sure that I’ll just continue to go in circles on it.
Okay, so, not only do I have a new laptop, but also the note that says I’ll be receiving all eleven of the gifts I earned over the weekend.
This is just so… weird.
They aren’t sticking to what they said. It’s more like they are still following the contract. But also, not, at the same time, somehow?
I wish I could just wave a magic wand and clear up this whole situation.
Maybe… maybe if I just follow all the rules from the contract and also stay no contact with them, they’ll want me back? They’ll see that I’m always a good girl for them, and then we can talk and everything will be fixed?
That’ll work, right?
Or maybe it’s like a test or something? I’m good at tests. I can handle this.
I can be good for them. I can. I know I can.
I’ll be the perfect girl for them, then they’ll have no choice but to take me back.
Chapter 11
Emery
The side of my finger is on fire as the taxi carries me toward Thai Orchid. I may or may not have drawn blood from biting the skin within the first few minutes of the car ride from all the nerves lighting up my nervous system like the Fourth of fucking July.
I ditch the finger and swap over to rubbing the engraved initials on my bracelet with my thumb, the little grooves oddly soothing as I contemplate whether I’m making a mistake.
The way I figure it, there are three options here.
One. He doesn’t show, and I’m left at the table alone.
Two. He does show, then we have a nice dinner together.
Three. He does show, yells at me, I cry, and we both get kicked out.
That last one causes my stomach to turn violently. I’m not sure I could recover from my Angel yelling at me in the middle of a restaurant while everyone is watching. Having everyone witness his disappointment in me would be too much.
This was a stupid idea.
