“Bray?”
I close the door and walk off because if he says my name like that again, all reason will leave me.
Chapter 23
Morning comes too early. I tossed and turned all night; in and out of consciousness, Bray filled my mind.
She didn’t seem herself most of the evening. Anytime I asked her if she was okay, she was short. But then she’d carry on like we always do.
Something is off with her, and something tells me it’s more than just the breakup. The way she talked about her brother as if she would never see him again made me come straight home and play with Potter before his bedtime. Yes, the little guy drives me crazy, but not being able to see him anytime I want would kill me.
I can’t believe I kissed her on the cheek and almost kissed her provocative full lips. Sebastian already thinks we have something going on. I need to stay far away from her, so I don’t give him the wrong idea.
But I can’t.
I’m drawn to her.
When I pull into the almost empty parking lot near the gym, Sebastian is standing outside his vehicle. He’s jumping up and down, and his breath create billows of smoke in the cold morning air.
The minute I step out of my vehicle, a spray of spit escapes my mouth when his fist makes contact with my jaw.
“What the—” A wet cold seeps through my sweatshirt as I topple to the ground with Sebastian on top of me.
“Lying piece of shit,” Sebastian yells as he connects with my brow. Warm liquid trickles into my left eye.
Lights flicker, revealing his manic face. A screech of brakes follows. Sebastian’s body weight leaves me, and I sit up, wiping my brow. Blood coats my fingers.
Sebastian thrashes in Theo’s hold.
“Stop it, now, Sebastian,” Theo says, tightening his embrace. “What’s the problem here? Can’t you talk it out? We’ve been friends for far too long to let this shit go on.”
Sebastian’s body relaxes, but the fire still flames in his eyes. If he gets away from Theo, I’ll be prepared this time.
“He’s a liar,” Sebastian says. “He says there’s nothing going on between him and Brayleigh, but I’ve got proof now.”
I wipe my hand. “Proof? What proof?”
Sebastian writhes from Theo’s arms and pulls out his phone. He taps several times then flips his phone in my direction, revealing a photo of Bray and me at dinner last night.
I wave his phone away. “That’s nothing.”
He taps his phone again then shoves it toward my face. “Then what about this one?”
After pushing his hand back, a fuzzy photo appears of Bray and me in my vehicle in a clear embrace. “That was totally innocent.”
“I kicked her out, and she went running to him. She’s got to be staying at his house. Where else could she stay?”
What? “Why isn’t Bray at her own house?” The puzzle pieces are starting to make sense now.
“Like you don’t know.”
“I don’t.” I rub my temple, trying to connect the dots.
“Brayleigh got kicked out on her eighteenth birthday for something she said was none of my business. I broke up with her because she doesn’t trust me enough to share what’s going on.”
That’s not what I heard.
“I’m sure she has a reason,” Theo says.
“Yeah, her reason is Zain.” Sebastian flicks his middle finger in my direction.
“For the last time, there is nothing going on with Bray and me.” My fingers tug my hair. “I saw her yesterday for the first time since the Jingle Jam when I volunteered at church. She was there volunteering. The first picture was of us at dinner with fifty people around. The other picture was her breaking down about something she wouldn’t talk about. She needed a hug, and you abandoned her.”
Sebastian scoffs. “Brayleigh volunteering at a church? Yeah right.”
“I’m serious. Why would you think she’s staying at my house?”
“Where else would she go?”
The homeless shelter. Bray wasn’t necessarily volunteering yesterday. She was working for her living facilities. The wet hair. The separation from Milo. It all makes sense now.
Chapter 24
We’re long gone from church before people arrive for service. Luckily, we only have to attend morning lessons to stay at the shelter.
Despite it only being day two, I feel safer with these people than with the Schneiders. Everything I own is locked up. No one gets to come into my room at night. And Jillion’s snores are reassuring. I’m still alive.
The first night, I only read the abortion pamphlets, but last night, I opened the adoption ones. I won’t put a child in foster care, but it turns out there are agencies specifically geared toward expecting mothers wanting immediate closed adoptions. Not having any more nightmares and knowing I’ll get to choose the parents makes me feel a bit better.
Maybe I can find some super rich ones. Ugh, they’d probably have a nanny do the raising. And if I choose adoption, can I make it through the next six months with a growing belly? How can I when I’m homeless?
“All done,” Jillion says, putting down a tube of mascara.
We’re in the fellowship hall, so there aren’t any mirrors, but her smile says the makeover she gave me was good. She even straightened my wavy hair then curled it to be bouncier.
Older men are playing chess beside us, and one gives a thumbs up.
Jillion gathers her supplies, and we walk back to our room. No one knows we won’t be coming back tonight because we don’t want to chance them giving up our room, so we tell them we’re going to a friend’s Christmas party.
Ray shows up and lets me drive again, but there are two other girls in the backseat I haven’t met. They’re all around the same age as me.
“This is the new girl, Brayleigh,” Jillion says.
“We’ll see how it goes,” I say. My stomach feels woozy, and I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or nerves or a sign I don’t need to go with them.
But Percy touched Izzy. He more than touched her, and her coping mechanism is denial. I need to help her, and I need to get Milo out. For that, I need money, lots of it.
I park at the hotel and pop the trunk. We all carry in party supplies and deliver them to the ballroom. Then Ray shows us our rooms, which are all on the same floor next to each other. I turn the heat all the way up then open the heavy curtains to look at the city. It’s still afternoon, but the street decorations and roof displays make me happy. I can’t wait to see the city lit up.
Jillion knocks on my door a few minutes later. “Here’s your costume. Guests will arrive soon, so you’ll need to hurry if you want first dibs on the food.”
“Thanks.”
I take the grocery bag from her and close the door, dumping its contents onto the bed. Silk pools together, and on top is a pearl necklace and matching earrings. Are they real? They sure do look nice and expensive. I put them on then take off my clothes quickly. Even with the door locked, I feel vulnerable. I always suspected Percy had hidden cameras to film me undressing, though I never saw any.
This is a hotel. No hidden creeper cams. I’m safe.
What I thought was a dress isn’t. The outfit is a silky black nightgown that ends mid-thigh and underwear with a lace hem at the hips.
Giggling sounds outside the door.
I open up. “Real funny.”
They stop laughing, and Jillion whistles.
They’re all in the same outfit, some of the girls with their hair up, showing their bare shoulders.
A Latinx girl points at my top.
My arms are crossed over my chest. I prefer jeans and a t-shirt. Silky nightgowns are too cold.
“We have a first timer,” she says.
Jillion tilts her head, “Yeah, no bra straps allowed. You’ll have to tuck them or
take it off.”
The Latinx girl reaches behind me and unstraps my bra.
My large boobs pop out, and my jaw drops.
“You’ll thank me,” she says. “You’ll make more.”
“No,” I say, resnapping it.
“It’s not like they can see anything,” Jillion says. “I never wear a bra. And Mercedes is right. You’ll make more money.”
“Fine.” Money, Bray. Money.
I toss my bra into the room and close the door behind me.
I fiddle with my room card. “Where do you keep this?”
“Inner pocket.” Jillion lifts her nighty to show me.
“Oh.”
I follow the girls to the ballroom, and after a few minutes of eating, I forget I’m half-naked, but the realization returns when the man of the hour arrives. He’s old and wrinkled with soft blue eyes like a typical grandpa.
He drags his finger under Mercedes’s necklace to the dip of her chest. “Do you like you’re presents?”
“Very much,” she says.
“Tell them the rules,” he says to Ray before moving to the entrance to greet guests.
The lights dim to show off candlelit tables in white and red fabric, and a DJ starts playing swing music.
“No alcohol, ladies,” Ray says, rubbing his hands together. “Everything needs to be one hundred percent consensual. You each have your room keys?”
We nod.
He hands us our pay for the night in small manila envelopes with red ribbons. Five crisp one-hundred-dollar bills inside.
“Do whatever you want for tips.”
He struts to the bar for a drink.
“Consensual?” I say, raising my eyebrows.
Mercedes sniffs her cash. “If you see a piece of candy and want a taste, go for it. Just have them give you a substantial tip before leaving the room.”
“These guys have money to blow,” Jillion says. “Either way, you’ve made five hundred bucks to let them flirt with you. If you let them do more, they’ll pay for it. But in tips. We aren’t prostitutes.”
The sinking feeling in my stomach is back. “They pay you to have sex with them?”
“No,” Mercedes says, “they pay you to look pretty. If you want to reward their generosity, that’s up to you, but I wouldn’t run away with a Ben Franklin and not at least kiss them. Hard to get can make you more than sex. I only bang the hot ones. Speaking of.” She grabs a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and saunters toward the guests.
“How is this different than prostitution?”
“You’re in control,” Jillion says, “and no one takes a cut. Enjoy yourself.”
She runs off, and the shy girl who hasn’t introduced herself or said a word joins her.
I grab a tray and use it to hide my boobs as I mingle.
Chapter 25
Sebastian stayed away from me for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Farren did not. It seems the photos started with her. I’m not sure who at church took them. At least eight other Merryville High students were there volunteering.
I ignored her every time she brought it up. “I knew you were cheating on me,” played on repeat from her cherry red lips.
I know the truth. Bray knows the truth. That’s all that matters to me.
Disappointment fills the evening during my volunteer session. Bray is nowhere to be found. She told me she wasn’t going to be here, but I hoped she would be if she’s actually staying here.
Fifteen minutes were spent roaming the church, looking for her, when I arrived. She was absent at dinner. I want to ask her about her living situation. I don’t know how I can help her, but I want to find a way. But how can I if I can’t find her?
“Thanks for staying so late, Zain,” Reverend Hulbert says when I turn the shed keys in at the end of the night. I spent the evening arranging a big shipment of supplies in a stockroom with the overflow goods being piled up in the shed full of ladders, outdoor decorations, and lawn equipment.
“You’re welcome. Easy finals tomorrow at school. I’m glad I could help get all that stuff put away.” I pause before exiting his office. “The girl I worked with yesterday, was she here today?”
“She was earlier, but I saw her leave after lunch.”
His response confirms what I believed about her staying here. Letting out an exhausted breath, I wave to Reverend. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I meander through the church and community center looking for her one last time before heading out into the cold to my vehicle. When I back out of my parking spot, a yellow cab pulls in front of the church. A bare-legged Bray exits and pays the driver through the rolled down window.
She glances around the parking lot, black make-up staining her cheeks, then rushes to the door that leads to the rooms set up for the homeless.
I quickly pull back in and run after her. “Bray!”
She halts and turns around slowly, revealing tear-filled eyes. Their light-blue color almost blinds me from the emotions they hold.
A shiver runs through her body. Her thin jacket pops open, revealing a black dress.
I remove my coat and wrap her in it. “Let’s get you inside.”
She pulls a key from her pocket and opens a door at the end of the hall. “I got kicked out. I’ve been staying here until I can afford my own place.”
“I heard.” I follow her into a tiny room holding two twin beds and stand up lockers.
She empties a grocery bag of clothes onto a bed. “How long have you known?”
“Sebastian told me after he punched me in the face this morning.” I point to my busted eyebrow, thankful he didn’t give me a black eye.
Bray flips on a lamp and steps towards me, her tender fingers run along the gash. “What was the fight about?”
“You.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. He has it in his head, thanks to Farren, that something’s going on between us.” I close my eyes when her hand travels down my cheek and gently rubs my bruised jaw.
“I’d hate to see what he looks like,” she says, her voice coated in sugar.
“I didn’t get a punch in. He blindsided me, then Theo pulled us apart before I could do any damage.”
She lowers her hand and removes my coat. “Thanks. I’m warm now.”
After setting my coat on her bed, I run my fingers under her eyes. “I hate to tell you this, but you look like a raccoon.” I’m not used to seeing her covered in make-up. She rarely wears it.
She steps away, her eyes darting around the room. “Crap.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I gotta get out of here.”
“Why? Aren’t you staying here?”
“Can you take me somewhere? I’m afraid someone might come looking for me here.”
I take in her appearance again. She’s not in her typical jeans and t-shirt. The thin black dress I noticed earlier is more like a skimpy nightgown—something you’d see on the Victoria’s Secret runway shows that Theo always insists on throwing a viewing party for.
I step toward her, wrapping her hands in mine. “What’s going on, Bray?”
She steps away, grabs a pair of jeans from the bed, and shimmies into them. With a tug on the bottom of her dress, she goes to lift it over her head. She laughs when I quickly turn around after getting a peek of her curves. It looks like she doesn’t have a bra on, and there’s no telling what I’d do seeing her half-naked.
“Are you afraid of seeing a little boob?”
“Something like that,” I admit.
“It’s safe to turn around now.”
She grabs a baby wipe from a locker and starts wiping the spoiled make-up off her face. Glancing in a mirror hanging on the wall, her fingers run over a pearl necklace.
She frowns and says, “Can
you get this thing off me, please?” She swipes her hair to the side, revealing her bare nape.
The urge to plant a stream of kisses down her neck then turn her around and devour her lips is strong as I unhook the necklace. She removes the matching earrings and places both on a shelf in the locker.
“Do you know of anywhere I can stay for a few days? I need to hang low for a bit,” she says, her eyes searching the room again.
I lift her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “Just tell me this, are you okay?”
“I will be. I’m sure they’ll forget about me in a couple days, and I can come back here.”
“I don’t know of any place you can stay except my house. I’m sure my parents will—”
“I don’t want anyone to know. Can you hide me? Do you have a basement or a closet I can sleep in? I’m good at being quiet.”
Part of the attic is almost clean. I came across an old cot and sleeping bag Dad used when he would go camping alone. Mom said to hold onto it just in case he gets in one of those run-away-from-the-world moods again. I could set up a little alcove for her to stay for a few days, out of prying eyes from the stairs.
Desire to give her what she needs outweighs reason. I’m already in hot water. How much worse could it get if my parents found out I snuck a girl in the house?
“Yeah, our attic. It might be a little cold, but a sleeping bag will keep you warm.” Why hasn’t Mom replaced the space heater yet?
“Let’s get out of here.” She grabs a few bags from the locker and takes a quick glance around the room.
“Don’t you want your jewelry?” I say, pointing at the shelf she placed them on.
She stares for minute, debating who knows what. Maybe they don’t have any sentimental value. She grabs the jewelry and shoves it into her pocket then pushes me out before closing and locking the door behind us.
Handing me the key, she says, “Can you return this to Reverend Hulbert tomorrow?”
I nod, taking the key and putting it in my coat pocket.
“I can’t believe I’ve never been to your house,” Bray says when I pull into the driveway. “How many bedrooms are there?”
Unwrap My Heart Page 9