Page 4 of Proposition 2

“Cadence, wait. Let me give you a ride home.”

“No!”

His face was shrouded in darkness, but I could feel him staring down at me. I trembled, praying he wouldn’t feel it through his grip on my elbow. The effect he had on me in person was stronger now than it had been before, and my mind was slowly clouding with memories of our brief time together.

“Cadence, please let me help you.”

His quiet words pierced my chest, and it was hard to remember why I was being so stubborn about letting him give me a ride home. It was late, and while I’d prefer to avoid him at all costs, I wouldn’t make it home for at least another hour if I insisted on walking.

My feet already ached from the diner, and a headache was beginning to throb between my eyes.

The raindrop splashing on my nose startled me, jerking my focus back to the man in front of me. Sucking in a deep breath, I pulled on my arm. Leo chose to release me, both of us aware that I couldn’t have gotten myself loose if he hadn’t allowed it.

“Okay. Just a ride to my house. That’s it.”

I wished I could see his expression, but he took a step back and nodded. When he held his hand out toward his car as more raindrops fell, I shook my head at myself, but turned to the sleek black car.

It was habit to hit the lock button on the key fob since it was still clutched in my hand, and my chest squeezed as the problems lying ahead of me threatened to push their way in. My eyes locked on the old grey car as I slid onto the smooth leather of Leo’s passenger seat, reminding me of the difference in our station.

I was the good girl. The one who worked hard, made good grades, took care of her family, and stayed on the right side of the law.

Leo was everything your mother warned you to avoid. The dangerous man who would ruin your life and disappear from it just as fast as he entered.

Yet I struggled for everything and he wanted for nothing. A snap of his fingers could get him anything.

It wasn’t fair.

I tightened my lips around the sigh that wanted to escape as Leo took his place behind the wheel. It was only a few minutes’ drive to my house, and I was determined to survive it without breaking down. I didn’t want him to see how weak I was.

He started the car and drove in silence. As we approached the last corner, I began to believe he was going to honor my wish not to talk, but I should have known it wouldn’t last.

“You know I could help you again.”

I chose to ignore the meaning behind his words. As much as my body yearned for a repeat of that night, I refused to sell myself to him again. If we couldn’t be equals, we couldn’t be anything.

And we were far from equal.

I stared out the windshield, watching the rain glisten in the headlights.

“You are helping me. With a ride home. Then you’ll be helping me by leaving.”

I was aware of the way his lips tipped up in the corner and his brow arched, but I forced myself not to turn my head and acknowledge him.

“I can make it all go away Cadence. The bills. The stress. The worry.”

The glare I leveled at him should have let him know to stop, but he plowed on like he didn’t notice.

“I have the money.”

“And I have the pussy.”

I cut him off before he could finish what he was saying, but I didn’t need to hear it. I knew how he saw me.

“You’re not going to buy me this time, Leo. I did that once, for my brother. I’m not a whore.”

The car rolled to a stop in front of my house and I flung myself out the door before he could see the angry tears building. I was hurt, but it wasn’t just by how I thought he saw me. It hurt because it would have been so easy to do what he wanted and let him deal with my problems.

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