Playing Pretend Box Set

by Natasha L. Black

  I hailed a taxi and hopped in, giving the cab driver the address to the club where I’d met Drake weeks before. I was sure after what he’d heard he wouldn’t want to do anything that had anything to do with me, so he wasn’t likely to be going to any venue that needed my card to get in.

  If there was one place I would go if I was upset like that, it would be somewhere simple. The club seemed to fit the bill in my mind. It was such a step away from the kind of life we’d been living recently, and that was exactly what I wanted. Hell, it was the whole reason I would frequent the club myself when I had some free time.

  My phone rang and my heart leapt to my throat, but it was Teisha.

  “Hey, I can’t talk right now,” I said frantically. “Sorry.”

  “What’s going on? You sound upset,” she said. “Everything okay?”

  “I think I just messed things up with Drake for good,” I said. “He overheard a conversation I was having with my parents and I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

  “Shit,” she said. “Sorry to hear that.”

  “Can I give you a call back? I’m not trying to blow you off or anything, I’ve just really got to find him,” I said. “Where would you go if you were him?”

  “I couldn’t even begin to tell you,” she said. “Maybe try the club where you guys met?”

  “That’s where I’m heading, but I’m afraid he’s not going to be there and I’m just going to lose my shit over it,” I said.

  “Calm down, girl. Think. You’ve been living with him for a while now, I’m sure you have some idea of his habits,” she said. “Good luck, okay? Keep me posted.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I’ll call you when I’ve got something to report.”

  I hung up the phone and sighed, sitting back in the seat of the cab. She was right. I had to think. If he wasn’t at the club, then where would he go? The bars seemed to be my best bet. A nice cold glass of something to help him forget my harsh words probably sounded pretty damn appealing.

  But he wouldn’t be anywhere that was too fancy. Nothing that would remind him of my stupid parents and our conversation.

  The driver dropped me off and I thanked him, dashing out of the cab and into the club. But my fears were realized when I saw only strangers inside. The only familiar face was that of the bartender, and he hardly glanced my way when I stepped in.

  I didn’t have time to waste. I turned and headed back out, walking up the street with my hands in my pockets. All the bars along this set of blocks were cheaper than where he had been hanging out. I would just go through them one by one until I found him.

  And if I didn’t have any luck, I’d go home and wait for him. He had to come back at some point, right?

  The first three bars didn’t produce anything, and I tried not to let my heart sink when the fourth was nearly empty. It wasn’t until I found him in the fifth that my heart leapt to my throat.

  He was in the corner of the room shooting pool with another man.

  Must be one of his friends, I thought. I walked over to him and put my hands in my back pockets. “Hey.”

  His posture went rigid and he didn’t take his eyes off the table to look my way. “Hey,” he said, his voice stony. He lined up another shot, but I could see his hands were shaking as he tried to hit the ball. Clearly, my presence was having some sort of effect on him, but I wasn’t sure how to read it. He didn’t seem angry with me, and his friend appeared entirely neutral.

  “I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?” I asked.

  “Sure,” he said, but didn’t move. I didn’t want his friend there to hear what I had to say, though I had a feeling he was already aware of the situation. The man just stood with his arms resting on top of his pool stick, and he stared at the table, not even acknowledging that I was there.

  “Maybe we could step outside?” I suggested.

  “No. If there is something you want to say to me, you can say it right here,” he said.

  “I was hoping for a bit more privacy,” I tried again. I felt the lump in my throat returning, and I was afraid I was going to break down. I hadn’t thought that I would mind crying in front of him, but this isn’t how I wanted it to happen. “We’ve got all the privacy we need right here. Brody is aware of our situation, so you don’t need to worry about blowing your cover. Though, you already did that earlier with Mommy and Daddy, didn’t you?” He still wasn’t looking at me, only staring at the pool table, lining up his next shot.

  “Drake, please look at me, I owe you an explanation,” I tried again.

  “Listen, Hannah, it’s been a lot of fun spending that time with you, and I’m glad I was able to help you get through that shit with your ex, but the fact of the matter is that you and I come from two different worlds, and nothing is going to change that. We can pretend all we want, but that’s all we’re doing, pretending,” he said.

  His words hit me like a punch in the stomach, and I could no longer stop the tears from springing into my eyes. I wanted to scream, I wanted to beg him to listen to me, I didn’t want to turn around and walk away, forgetting all that I’d put into this for the past period of my life.

  But I could see that his mind was made up, and there was nothing I could do. He didn’t feel like he belonged, and after hearing what I’d said, there wasn’t any way I was going to change his mind. I had to just face the fact that I’d blown it and move on with my own life.

  “If that’s how you feel,” I said at last, “I’ll have your check ready by tonight and we can go our separate ways.”

  He didn’t look at me. His face was stone cold and expressionless as he continued to stare at the pool table in front of him. I stole a glance toward his friend, who looked much the same way. Both were clearly more invested in the game than in what I had to say.

  I may as well not even exist. I waited for a moment, hoping that he would say something, anything. Wishing that he would change his mind and tell me he’d listen, just listen and hear what I had to say.

  But, after a brief moment of nothing, he merely gave a slight nod. My heart pounded so hard in my chest I felt it might burst, and I turned on my heel, walking out as quickly as I could before the tears took over.

  I swiped my hand across my eyes when I was back on the sidewalk, then I turned and started back in the direction from which I came. There were so many emotions swirling through me and yet I felt nothing at all. I couldn’t believe everything had come crashing down like this, and it was all my fault.

  I passed an alley, not bothering to look in either direction. There was a part of me that almost didn’t care if I got struck by a car. Hell, it couldn’t hurt more than what I was dealing with now.

  But it wasn’t a car that hit me. No, I was suddenly roughly grabbed, one strong hand around my waist and another clamped over my mouth. The scream that escaped my lips was muffled almost entirely. No one heard.

  No one was coming to help me.

  I didn’t know who this assailant was, but I knew I had to fight back. I tried to struggle, but they were much too strong. The next thing I knew, I was being shoved into the back seat of a vehicle, locked in with the interior handles removed.

  I was a prisoner, and no one even knew I was missing.

  21

  Drake

  “Dammit!” I said loudly. I didn’t care who looked in our direction. I was pissed. It didn’t matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hit a ball straight to save my life. I would get in the right position, line up my cue with the ball, and hit in a steady, fluid motion. But, inevitably, the ball would go the exact opposite way I wanted it to, ending up in me losing my turn time and time again.

  “What’s wrong? Forget how to shoot?” Brody asked. “As I recall, you were one of the best players in the squad.”

  “Fuck off,” I snapped. He gave me a look and shook his head as he made another perfect shot. After sinking two more balls, I could tell he intentionally missed the next.

  “You don’t have to let me win,
” I said. “I can do it myself.”

  “Not shooting like that you can’t,” he said. “My grandmother hits better, and she’s half blind and has arthritis.”

  “Then maybe you better go play pool with her,” I said. He laughed and I sighed. Brody knew I was in a bad mood, but he was also willing to put up with it. I had told him everything when he got to the bar, including how much it crushed me to think that it was over.

  “I just don’t think I can go through with another heartbreak,” I told him.

  ‘Then why not talk to her? It’s the only way you’re going to get to the bottom of your feelings. And hers, too, for that matter,” he replied. Always practical, but not always one to understand right where I was with my emotions.

  “That’s the problem. I heard what she said to her parents, and I know nothing is going to change that,” I replied. “She isn’t like me in ways that matter too much for us to ignore. I’m not sure why I thought things could be real between us.”

  “You know her better than I do, but from the sounds of things you two hit it off well, get along, and liked spending time together. Are you sure you know the whole story here?” he’d asked.

  The problem was, I was absolutely convinced that I had the whole story. What else was there for me to know? She didn’t just tell her parents what was going on, she laughed about it and made it clear it wasn’t going to continue. I had heard what I needed to, and I didn’t need to hear it again.

  “The thing is, if she really didn’t care, why did she try to come after you?” he’d asked.

  “Guilt? She’s a sweet girl. I’m sure she didn’t like the fact that I’d overheard what she said, and she wanted to make sure I wasn’t too upset. Or maybe she wanted it to be my fault if I pushed her away. Who knows? Women are hard to figure out,” I told him. “I just don’t know how I’m going to face her now.”

  “That’s a tough one. But it’s going to have to happen if you’re going to get your shit out of her place as well as the money she owes you,” he said.

  “I’m not sure I even want it now,” I admitted. “I really don’t.”

  “Well, you’d better take it anyway. It’s not like you have a ton of other money lying around to get you a place and see you through until you get a job,” he said. I knew he was right. I had to get the money from her, and I had to get my things, too.

  I’d be leaving with the check and the duffel I’d come in with. There was no way I was going to keep any of the clothes and things I’d bought with her card. Nope, it was back to Target for my wardrobe and toiletries. And honestly, that part was totally fine with me.

  Then, the worst thing that could have happened, happened. I knew she was trying to get a hold of me. She kept calling my phone to the point I turned off the ringer. I didn’t want to talk to her, and I didn’t like hearing the ringtone sounding every few minutes.

  I’d talk to her when I was ready, but like before, I had to figure out what I was going to say. I didn’t want to have a big talk. I didn’t want to hear a speech, I just wanted to accept the fact that we weren’t going to be together and move on.

  But I was going to have to figure out how to say that without it turning into anything more. No arguing, no shouting, no show of emotion on my side whatsoever. Hell, I wouldn’t cry if I was just quitting another job, and that was how I was going to force myself to look at this situation.

  What I didn’t think she’d do, however, is track me down on foot. I figured she’d wait for me to come back to the apartment and give me my things, maybe tell me once more how happy she was that I helped her, and we’d move on.

  When she walked through the door at the bar, my heart nearly stopped. I didn’t want to talk to her in front of Brody. Hell, I didn’t want to talk to her at all right now. I needed time to think about what I was going to say, I needed the time to get over her before we talked about how it wasn’t ever going to happen between us.

  But there she was.

  She tried her best to talk to me, I knew she did, but I wasn’t in the mood. I didn’t care if she made a scene in the middle of the bar. I couldn’t bring myself to have that conversation in public. I’d hear what she had to say, and that was it, but I wasn’t going to discuss anything further.

  When she left, however, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d made a mistake. I kept wondering what she wanted to tell me, and there was a part of me that kicked myself for not going after her.

  “She was pretty,” Brody said, cutting into my thoughts.

  “Shut up,” I said. “I don’t want to talk about Hannah.”

  “I thought you wanted me to come down here so we could talk about it?” he asked. “That’s why I dropped everything and came back.”

  “I wanted to tell you what happened, listen to my side of things,” I replied. “You heard how I felt about things earlier, I wanted you to hear how it all turned out for me.”

  “I think you’re making a huge mistake,” he said with a shrug.

  “What the hell?” I asked as I looked at him. “What do you mean?”

  “She tried to talk to you. That was your chance to hear her out. Who knows what she was going to say? You weren’t there for the whole conversation, and you didn’t know what she was going to tell you now. Perhaps it was a mistake, I don’t know,” he said. “The least you could have done is listen.”

  “I was listening!” I shot back. “I told her to go ahead and say what she needed to say.”

  “You said that, but you also knew she wasn’t going to do it when I was standing here,” he said, calling my bluff. He knew me too well. I was using him as a shield, protecting myself from what I didn’t want to hear, and the conversation I didn’t want to have.

  I tried to make it look like I was listening to her, but deep down, I knew she wasn’t going to say anything too personal when we were standing with a person who was not only a stranger to her, but a friend of mine.

  “Well, it’s too late now,” I said. I tried to make another shot, but I missed once again. Brody laughed and clapped me on the back.

  “Is it? Because it sure seems like it’s eating at you,” he said. “I’ve never seen you shoot such a bad game.”

  “I can’t think straight,” I said with a shake of my head. “I felt so strongly for her, and I was ready to put it all on the line. Now, it’s all fucked up. Just one royally fucked up mess.”

  “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and whining like a pussy,” Brody said. “It doesn’t suit you any more than the life of luxury does.”

  “What the hell am I supposed to do then?” I snapped.

  “Go after her? She came all the way down here to find you, why not go find her and show her that you’ll give her the time of day? Considering what you said the two of you had, I think she deserves at least that much from you,” Brody said. “I would rather be job hunting and looking for a place to live than standing here watching you unable to hit a single ball.”

  I smiled grimly. I knew he was right, and I wanted to talk to her. But I was even more nervous now that things were going to be worse than before. I’d just treated her like shit right in front of my best friend. I didn’t deserve the chance to talk.

  But then, she did. She wanted to tell me something, and I had been a dick about it. I had to find her and make it right. Sure, that likely wouldn’t mean that I got what I wanted out of the deal, but it would be enough to clear my conscience and set things straight.

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and tried to call her, but it went to voicemail. Surprised, I tried again, but again nothing.

  “She’s not answering now. I better go back and find her,” I said.

  “Sounds good. Let me know how this all works out for you,” Brody said. He shook my hand before leaving, and I sighed. I gathered my things and tried her again, frustrated that it once again went to her messages. Of course, I knew I couldn’t be too pissed off with her. She’d tried to call me several times and I’d sent her to voicemail, why couldn’t she d
o the same?

  I headed outside, holding the phone to my ear as I walked. I headed back toward her penthouse, deciding walking would be the best thing. I needed the time to cool off a bit before I got there.

  But, as I crossed the alley, something caught my eye. There was a shoe lying in the middle of the road, along with a few personal items scattered about. My heart raced as I picked up the wallet, certain I recognized it. When I saw her ID inside, my stomach flopped.

  It wasn’t hard to guess what happened. No wonder she wasn’t answering her phone. I quickly flipped open the GPS. When I’d moved in we’d agreed it would be best to have our trackers on each other’s phone. That way I’d be able to find her if something were to happen.

  Something just like this.

  She was obviously in a car heading toward the east side of town. Considering how fast her phone was moving, and her scattered effects on the ground beside me, I knew she wasn’t driving. Glancing around, I saw a guy getting off his motorcycle. Without a moment of hesitation, I ran over to him.

  “Man, I need your bike,” I said. “It’s an emergency.”

  “Fuck off,” he said. “You aren’t touching this.”

  “Here,” I pulled out a wad of cash and his eyes widened. “I’ll bring it back without a scratch, please.”

  “You better,” he said. He flipped through the money as I climbed on the back of the bike and started the engine. I could go a lot faster on a bike than anyone could go in a car on the streets of Chicago.

  Hang on Hannah, I thought. I’m coming, and God help your ex when I get my hands on him.

  22

  Hannah

  I threw myself against the door of the vehicle once more, hoping that it would give. I knew it was highly unlikely, and I would then be forced to jump out of a moving car if it did, but it still seemed like a better option than going with Brandon.

  I was confused as to where we were going. The entire time he and I were together, we were either out on dates or at my place. He moved into my house before I ever had the chance to see where he lived, and I wasn’t even sure he’d take me to his place anyway.