by Brook Wilder
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, events, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Mine copyright @ 2017 by Brook Wilder. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Subscribe to get the latest news about my next release!
http://eepurl.com/b0l1nP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MINE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
BOUND
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
OTHER BOOKS BY BROOK WILDER
MINE
CHAPTER ONE
It was five o'clock when I walked through the door to my bedroom in the East Village apartment I shared with my three roommates, and all I wanted to do was lie down on my bed and pass out. My day had started with my eight a.m. biology lecture and hadn't slowed down since. Between my classes and four hours at my work-study job on campus, I'd barely had any time to breathe. One would think that by year three at N.Y.U. I'd have gotten used to the stress, but it only seemed to keep growing with each semester.
Wanting to think about anything besides the mountain of homework I had, I pulled my phone out of my pocket as I set my bag down. I'd felt it buzzing almost constantly during my shift in the campus library, and I wondered who was trying so desperately to get a hold of me. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw the missed calls list. Fifteen calls, all from three numbers, and a handful of voicemail messages as well. I checked the numbers and recognized two of them as my dad's landlord, Beth, and the hospital he'd visited when he had his recent stroke. The third number I didn't recognize, but they had called me the most. With an uneasy feeling growing in my stomach, I clicked on the voice mail messages and let them play. The landlord's message was first. I'd talked to her many times before and she was always kind and compassionate about my father's situation.
"Hello, Laina," she said. "I'm sorry to have to call you like this, but we need to talk about your father's lease…"
The message went on and she told me that Dad had been late with his rent payments the past few months. He'd even skipped this month's payment altogether. Apparently, if he kept missing payments, she would be forced to evict him. Her tone was very apologetic, and she told me to call her back to see if we couldn't work something out. I sighed in frustration as the message ended. I loved my Dad, but he was always the type who would rather suffer in silence than call me for help. How long had he been struggling with money? Things must be pretty bad for him if his landlord, the most forgiving woman I've ever met, was threatening eviction.
I definitely didn't want to listen to the other messages now, but I had no choice. I clicked on the hospital's message next and listened as an automated message system droned at me.
"This message is from the billing and accounts department at Mercy Hospital located in Scranton, PA," the robotic voice said. "We regret to inform you that, due to delinquency, we have transferred Mr. John Albertson's account to a third party debt collection agency. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact us at …"
I ended the message before it finished, and now I was cursing under my breath. A month ago, Dad had said he had everything taken care of now that he was back at work. Obviously, that wasn't the case now, and I wondered what had happened. Reluctantly, I clicked on the last message. Even though I didn't recognize the number, I had a pretty solid idea of who it was going to be now.
"Hello. I'm calling for a Ms. Laina Albertson regarding the account of a Mr. Albertson. We would greatly appreciate a return call either from you or Mr. Albertson to set up a payment schedule for the account in question."
I ended that message early as well and threw my phone onto my bed in frustration. I had to call dad right away and get to the bottom of this, but my head was spinning too fast to focus on what I needed to say. After a few deep breaths, I picked my phone up again and dialed my dad's number. It took a few rings, but he finally answered.
"Laina!" he said in his usual cheerful voice, "What's up? How's my favorite daughter?"
"I'm fine Dad," I said, doing my best to keep my voice even and calm, "but I just got a couple of concerning messages from Beth, the hospital, and a debt collector all saying that you're behind on payments. Are you okay?"
There was a long pause at the other end of the line and my heart sank in my chest. Part of me had hoped that this had all been a mistake, but
every passing second of silence told me that my Dad was in some serious trouble.
"Dad?" I asked. "Are you still there?"
"I am, sweetie," he responded. His cheerfulness had disappeared and was replaced by a forlorn tone. "I've just been having money troubles lately. Nothing I can't handle, and I'm sorry that they've started bugging you about it."
"Dad. Beth is threatening eviction if you don't pay her, and you know how lenient she usually is. I thought you said were fine now that you're back at work at the plant."
"I was, for a while, but after a week or so my boss said he was concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the office pace. They gave me another week after that, and I tried so hard Laina, I really did, but I just couldn't do it. It's like my brain doesn't work right anymore."
"You had a stroke, Dad. A pretty major one. The doctors were all surprised that you recovered this much."
"I know, I know, it's just really frustrating not being able to do things that used to be so easy."
"What happened?"
"Well, the boss didn't want to fire me since I've been with the company so long, so they suggested I retire so I could start getting my pension."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked in a hurt tone. We usually talked on the phone at least twice a week and it seemed suspicious that he'd neglected to tell me about this.
"I didn't want to trouble you, that's all," he replied sheepishly. "I know how stressful your schoolwork has been lately and I didn't want you worrying about your old man. I thought between the pension, social security, and my disability benefits, I'd be fine."
"Obviously you're not. Otherwise, I wouldn't be getting calls from debt collectors."
"You're right, I'm not," he said in a voice that I almost didn't recognize. He sounded so defeated and nothing like the strong man who had raised me all by himself.
"Dad, let me help you," I said. "I can finish out this semester, and then I'll come home. I know I can find a job and, between the two of us, we'll get your medical bills paid."
"What about school, Laina? I can't have you dropping out on my account. I'd never forgive myself."
"I won't drop out, I'll just take a year or two off. It's no big deal, really."
"Of course it's a big deal. I'm not letting you put your dreams on hold just to take care of me."
"But you need help, Dad. You've done so much for me growing up, and I want to repay that."
"It's not a debt you owe me," he said firmly. "It was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I love you Laina, more than anything and I want to see you achieve your dreams."
"I can still do that and take care of you! It'll only be for a year or two."
"No it won't, and you know that. You'll get stuck here."
I wanted to argue, but part of me knew he was right. If I took a job back home, I'd not only have to deal with his debt but also my own student debt, all on top of living expenses for the both of us. Also, as a pre-med student, a break would also make my already long education plan even longer.
"Ok, fine," I said with a sigh. "But there has to be a way that I can help."
"I'm a proud old man," he replied, "but I'm not stupid. I can deal with the debt collector vultures, but maybe you could work something out with Beth."
"I will, dad," I said. "I'll call her once we're done. I think I still have her cell phone number somewhere."
"Thank you, Laina," he said. "I'm sorry you had to find out about my troubles the way you did."
"It's alright," I replied. "I love you, Dad."
"Love you too, sweetie," he said.
I hung up the phone and let out a huge sigh. He'd been so happy when he'd returned to his desk job at the paper plant a couple months ago and it was heartbreaking to hear that he just couldn't do his old data entry job anymore. I made the call to his landlord and was thankful to catch her just as she was leaving her office. After a short discussion, we agreed that I would take over his rent payments, starting with this month. I wasn't sure how I was going to come up with the extra money, but I didn't feel like I had any other choice. Before hanging up, she said I had until the end of next week to come up with the money for this month and then she'd expect a check at the first of every month after that.
I set my phone on my bedside table and screamed into my pillow. Why did this all have to happen now? Midterm exams were just around the corner and I was already behind on some of my coursework. My meager savings account would cover part of the payment I needed to make next week, but I just didn't know how I was going to come up with the rest.
A buzz from my phone almost made me jump out of my skin. I reached over and picked it up, wincing as I checked the screen. Thankfully, it was just a text from Victor, a fellow biology major, and a good friend. I opened it, wondering what he could want from me.
There's a whole bunch of us Bio geeks hanging out at The Lounge. Join us for a drink??? It's only a block from you, so no excuses!
I glanced over to the large pile of homework sitting on my desk and immediately felt stressed. If it were any other day I'd say no, but a drink was exactly what I needed right now. I could have one and still make it back early enough to get everything done. I grabbed my coat as I dashed out of my apartment and texted Victor back as I started walking toward the bar.
CHAPTER TWO
The longer I sat in the dingy bar booth, the more I regretted coming out. At first, I had thought that hanging out with my classmates might distract me from my problems, but I just couldn't relax. I'd had my one drink and was now nursing a glass of water as I listened to everyone discussing our upcoming exams. I tried to follow the conversation, but all I could think about was how I was going to come up with the extra money for my dad's rent. I didn't realize how lost in thought I was until I jumped when Victor plopped down in the booth next to me.
"You okay, Laina?" he asked, his dark eyes full of concern. "You seem really distant tonight."
"I've been better," I replied. "I just got some bad news from home."
"Why don't we talk about it over a drink," he said, sliding a beer toward me. "My treat."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'd really just want to get home and make a dent in my homework."
"C'mon," Victor said, leaning in closer to me. "Your books aren't going anywhere. Talk to me, maybe I can help you."
"Alright," I said with a deep breath. "Here's the deal…"
I told him all about the conversation I'd had with my dad as well as the voice messages. It took a while to explain everything, especially since Victor hadn't known about my dad's health issues, but he listened attentively the whole time. I caught myself realizing, not for the first time, that Victor was actually quite handsome. He was only a little taller than me with black hair and caramel skin. He'd told me once that his family had come from somewhere in the Middle East, but I couldn't remember where exactly. I'd always known he'd had a slight crush on me ever since freshman orientation, but he'd never once asked me out. Even if he did, I wasn't sure what I would say. Victor was a good friend and certainly easy on the eyes, but I never really felt that spark with him.
"Well, that certainly blows," he said when I finished my story. "I certainly don't envy your situation. Have you thought about what you're going to do to make the money?"
"The only thing I can come up with is finding another part time job. I'm already maxed out on my hours at the library and I barely make enough to cover my own expenses."
"A friend of mine works at a coffee shop a near campus, maybe I can get him to hook you up with something."
"I'd appreciate it if you could ask," I said.
"No problem," Victor said, reaching out to put his hand on mine. "Anything for you, Laina."
The conversation died, and we just sat there sipping our drinks. My mind wandered toward the logistics of adding yet another job on top of my course load and work study gig. It would be tough, but as long as I didn't need to sleep or eat, I could probably manage it. I was just about to get up and say my goodbye
s when Victor let out a small grunt of surprise. I looked over and saw him staring at his phone.
"Laina! I think I've solved your money problem," he said. "For this month, at least."
"Yeah?" I asked.
"So the international student association I'm a member of is doing this charity auction tomorrow night. Basically, eligible bachelors can bid on ladies and win a date night with them. I just got a text saying one of the ladies backed out, and we have an opening! All you have to do is get dressed up and walk a runway and you'll get a fancy date and a couple hundred dollars at the end!"
"I don't know," I said slowly. "The money would help, but I don't know how I feel about being sold to some random guy."
"We thoroughly vet all the men before we let them bid, so it's not like we're pulling people off the street. It's also all for a good cause! The money goes to a charity that provides books to children in war-torn countries. It's easy money, and you get a free dinner!"
"Well, I guess I can do it," I said.
"Great! I'll email you the details later," Victor said with a huge grin on his face.
I thanked him and then stood, saying goodbye to everyone before walking out of the bar into the night. There was a nervous knot in my stomach now, but I tried to ignore it. I'd solved my money problems, for now at least.
