BILLIONAIRE (Part 6)

by Jones, Juliette

  Unsteadily, I made my way down the alley, turning in the opposite direction from the animal-print furniture store. I turned another corner, walking down the side streets, finding a dark step to sit on and let some time pass.

  Was I losing my mind? Was I deliberately putting myself in harm’s way to get back at Alexander? What kind of revenge was that: hurting myself to hurt him? What kind of idiot puts on a dress like this, with nothing underneath, goes out and gets inebriated with some amorous stranger whose intentions are pretty fucking clear? I’d known exactly what I was doing. And I’d done it anyway.

  My throat felt tight and achy. I felt the warm slide of tears on my cheeks, which surprised me.

  I sat on that step and cried. I sobbed like my heart was breaking. Maybe it was. A couple walked past me, giving me a concerned glance. But I wiped my tears and smiled at them. “I’m fine. Enjoy your night.” As I watched them turn the corner, the tears just kept on streaming, like something had come loose in me. I’d never cried over my past, not once. Not since the monster had whipped me for doing it. Ten years ago. That was the last tear I’d shed for all the unfairness and the fear.

  I sat there for a long time, until the night grew black and the rain fell steadily in cold sheets.

  I walked back towards Fifth Avenue, where Alexander’s building was located. I wasn’t going to go there, but I wanted to get closer to it, to find a place to rest for a while. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever go back to Alexander. I didn’t know. I was completely, utterly lost.

  When I neared Alexander’s block, I saw a small bar. It looked warm inside, with red-tinted light shining through the small, rain-streaked windows. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I went in, finding a secluded corner table at the back. I was cold to the bone and soaked to the skin. Still drunk. Hungry.

  Eyes followed me but there was some baseball game playing on the TV, diverting the attention away from me, which I was profoundly grateful for. The bartender walked over to me. He was old, maybe sixty. He looked kind. Maybe he had a daughter, or a granddaughter. I got the impression that I reminded him of someone. “You look like you could use something to warm you up,” he said.

  I gave him a weary smile.

  He shuffled off, then returned with a large, steaming mug, which he placed in front of me. “This one’s on the house, honey.”

  “Thank you,” I said, shivering, picking up the cup in my hands, taking a sip. It was hot, and sweet. Alcoholic, and strong. The liquid warmed me from within, and calmed me by a single degree. I felt out of control, dizzy, and very, very tired. I leaned the side of my head against the wall and closed my eyes.

  After a while, I could hear and feel that someone had sat down next to me, and was watching me, but it took me a few minutes to open my eyes.

  At first I thought I was hallucinating. He looked so much like … but no, he wore wire-rimmed glasses, and his hair was longer, and wavier. My eyes focused and I recognized who it was.

  “Lila, what are you doing here?” he asked.

  It was Jake.

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  eBooks now available:

  BILLIONAIRE (Part 1) by Juliette Jones

  BILLIONAIRE (Part 2) by Juliette Jones

  BILLIONAIRE (Part 3 & Part 4) by Juliette Jones

  BILLIONAIRE (Part 5) by Juliette Jones

  BILLIONAIRE (Part 6) by Juliette Jones

  BILLIONAIRE (Part 7) by Juliette Jones

  AND

  BILLIONAIRE (Complete Book)

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  Coming soon:

  BILLIONAIRE (Book 2)