Page 37 of Ravaged For You

“How am I lucky?” I ask him in disbelief. “I’m sitting outside my condo building that’s locked to me with absolutely zero money in my bank account and every chance I’m about to lose my job. How is that lucky?”

“You’re a lucky girl because a rockstar like me has just handed you my actual personal phone number. Not a dummy, not a fake one, but the actual one I use for friends and family. There’re not many girls who can claim that, so yeah, you are very much a very lucky girl.”

“And you’re one very lucky guy not to have my fist smack bang in the middle of your face,” I reply. “Although that’s pretty tempting.”

Axel chuckles and stands up.

“Call me,” he says before he puts his helmet back on. “Consider the job offer. Things like that don’t come along every day, don’t they? Even I’m not too removed from normal life to know that. Consider the money, Maddie.”

And then, with another roar, the rockstar and his vintage motorbike are gone into the evening.

18

MADDIE

Well, I’ve scrambled up enough of my pitiful savings to book myself a grungy little motel room for the night, and now I don’t have a clue what I’m supposed to do with myself.

I flick through the TV channels on the room’s crappy little box, my eyes not even focusing on the moving images.

True to Axel’s word, Lucas’ guys appeared within the hour to take my unorganized pile of things to a storage unit. Thank God for that, otherwise I would be completely screwed. Then, with only my overnight bag, I walked to this cheap motel. I didn’t even dare waste any money on gas or a taxi.

To be honest, I don’t even want to watch TV. I’m just trying to keep my mind from wandering. I try not to think about my parents getting divorced. How that really hurt me as a little kid, witnessing that. The arguments. My mother telling me that this is what the endpoint of every relationship with a man is like. I usually try to never reflect on those childhood years of pain and turmoil, but with all this talk about Axel and this fake relationship job, I keep turning back to it. Mom told me not to trust men. And do I trust Axel?

Hell no.

What the freak am I even thinking entering this strange not-real pretending-to-be-someone’s-girlfriend routine? Why am I even giving it a moment’s consideration?

I glance around this crappy little motel room. Well, I do need the money.

“Ugh.”

I switch off the TV using the remote and roll back onto the bed. The old cheap mattress creaks under me.

I have to call him. There’s no other way.

It’s either do this crazy-ass job, or head back home to Mom. And that’s the last thing I want to do, even worse than spending months playing house with Axel.

And, yeah, I did make that stupid New Year’s resolution. Say yes more.

Right. Okay.

It’s midnight, so I don’t expect him to pick up when I finally do summon the courage to dial my phone, but he does answer.

“Hello, Maddie.”

His voice is calm. Unsurprised.

“Axel.”

“Truth be told, I was actually predicting you wouldn’t call. I was going to bet Lucas you wouldn’t.”

“I’ll do it.”

“What?”

“I’ll do you and Lucas’ job.”

There’s a brief pause on the other end.