SEPARATED: CONCLUSION TO UN-RELATED Read Free

prettier than the last one. How long are you planning on keeping this one?’”
    “Kellan…I…”
    He put up his hand, telling me that he needed to finish. “I waited for an answer, thinking that Lorena would say something nice to defend me, but she laughed and said, ‘Until I’m tired of him, of course. But he is handy in the bedroom.’ I ran up to my room and tried to get her words out of my head, but I couldn’t…I still can’t. I knew it was just sex, she made that perfectly clear. But, until that moment, I thought she cared about me…a little.”
    I reached out and grabbed his hand. There were tears in my eyes but I didn’t know what to say to comfort him, so I just squeezed his hand and let him go on.
    “She came to my room later that night, but I pretended to be ill. She was nice about it, but I was certain she knew I was lying. She didn’t question it, and she still paid me like normal a few days later. I finally got over it, and realized she was right. She told me from the start it was just sex. It wasn’t like I was in love with her. I guess I was just hoping for some kind of connection, besides a physical one. I was stupid…”
    “No, you weren’t. Everyone’s always let you down…you don’t deserve that.”
    “You never let me down…and I don’t deserve you.”
    “Don’t say that. I love you.”
    “I love you, too. I hope you’ll still feel that way…when I’m done.”
    “I will. I promise,” I smiled through my tears.
    He took a deep breath and said, “So, the next day, someone knocked on the door. The staff was gone, so I answered it. It was a woman and she looked familiar. She was one of the ladies from the book club. She introduced herself again and asked if Lorena was home. When I told her she was out and wasn’t due back until late that night, I thought she’d leave, but I was wrong. She made excuses to stay and said she was thirsty. I made us some coffee and we chatted about nothing at first. She was a really nice lady. She was smart and well read, and there was such sadness in her eyes that I felt bad for her. She told me that her husband died a few years back and then she asked about my childhood. She seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. I liked her immediately. She asked me if I needed any pro bono work for school credit and said she had just the job for me.”
    “I’ll bet,” I said.
    “Yeah, that subject came up as well. Abby, I don’t know why I said yes…there was just something about her. She seemed as lost as I was.”
    “Is she the one that owns this apartment?” I asked.
    “Yes. Her name’s Margot Winters. She has more money than all of those ladies in the book club combined. She renovated a historic building in the center of town where she lives. She’s very well thought of. She really did need some pro bono work, but on her way out the door, she told me that I reminded her of her late husband…when he was young, and she asked me to spend one night with her. I immediately told her no, saying it wouldn’t be right. She was very kind and said she understood. She handed me her card and said to call her assistant about the pro bono work and she walked out.”
    “I though you said you told her yes?”
    “I’m coming to that.”
    He stood up and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. “Do you want another Coke?”
    “No, thanks.”
    He sat back down and continued, “After she left, I made myself a sandwich and I must have left the card on the counter because Lorena found it and brought it upstairs and threw it on my bed. She was angry…at me, or Margot…I wasn’t sure which, but she threatened me to stay away from her friends…especially Margot. I was shocked and irritated. I was obviously only a play thing for her, so I didn’t understand why she cared what I did. I told her that I was only doing some pro bono work for one of her charities, nothing more. That seemed to appease her, but the next thing I knew, she was cuddling up next