AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My stomach clenches, and a shiver skates down my spine. “No.”
He mistakes my response for something it isn’t. “I can see you want it, there’s no need to be coy.” Closing in, his knees brush against mine, and I practically crawl on top of the desk to get away.
“Please, stop.”
“Quinn.” He coos my name and reaches for me again.
He’s not listening. He won’t stop. My gaze shoots to the door, but his office is far removed from the cubicles. No one is near. I could scream, but I doubt that would stop him.You know what you need to do,the figment of Austin’s voice tells me, reminding me of hours we spent in the gym together as he taught me self-defense.
Mr. Mosley’s fingers brush down my shoulder. Fear bolts through my system, and I rear back, bringing my knee up in the process, nailing him right between the legs. He releases a hard grunt and bowls over, cupping his balls. Taking the advantage, I slip between the desk and the chair on my left and make a break for the door, leaving him to lick his wounds.
I scurry back to my office and grab my purse and phone but leave everything else, even my beloved stationery, behind in favor of escaping before Mr. Mosley recovers. The first full breath I take is after the elevator doors close behind me and the machine carries me toward the first floor. Resting against the back wall, I clench the strap of my purse and glare at my phone.
I know who I could call, but I won’t. It would mean admitting I need their help, and I’ve worked hard to prove myself. I’ve worked hard to show that I can make my own way and that my mom doesn’t need to worry about me.
There’s still time to fix this. I can meet with the dean and explain what happened and find a new internship. By the time the elevator doors open, I’m standing a little taller, determination replacing that hopelessness I’d felt moments ago.
Mr. Mosley won’t ruin this for me. I won’t let him.
Four
QUINN
I make it to my apartment building and into the elevator without incident. No one has called, so I doubt Mr. Mosley is going to say anything to anyone about what I did. It would be too embarrassing to admit why I hurt him, and it would only bring suspicion to my firing. He might be an asshole, but he’s not foolish enough to add any reason for people to speculate.
The hall that leads to my door is lined with worn carpet, and the white walls are covered in scuffs and need a good cleaning, but I found this place on my own. It’s a far cry from the beach-side mansion, that’s for sure, and while my stepdads are still footing the bill, the $900 rent is easier to stomach than the price of the swanky luxury condo they tried to get me into.
Plus, it’s as far away from my stepbrothers as I could get.
My stepdads are great. I’ve come to love them in my own way, and they’ve done so much for my mom, but while I appreciate what they’re doing for me, I don’t want to take advantage of them.
The elevator doors open to my floor, and I pinch my eyebrows together when I spot a note pinned to a door with redtape. Stepping off, I move toward the letter.EVICTION NOTICEstands out in bold capital letters.
I suck in a breath. That sucks for the Reynolds. They’re a cute beta couple who’ve lived here almost as long as I have. They’re sweet. I’m surprised they didn’t pay rent...at least, that’s what I assume happened. I read the rest of the note, but it’s standard lawyerly language. No juicy details, just a notice that they have thirty days to vacate.
Well, at least I don’t have to worry about that.
I turn to head toward my apartment but stop short. The doors on either side of me have the same red tape. I frown and walk, scanning the notices as I go. Door after door has the same letter until I come to mine. My stomach drops and my phone slips from my hand, softly thudding onto the carpet.
EVICTION NOTICE.
Even though I read the other note, I scan it again. The words get blurrier and blurrier until I can’t read them at all. I don’t realize the tears have fallen until someone presses a tissue into my palm. I glance down at it, then up at Ms. Ogden, my elderly landlord. A deep frown is notched into her wrinkled face, and her own eyes swim with tears. I swallow the lump in my throat and dab my face.
“I’m sorry about this, Quinn,” she begins with a shaky voice. “But this company is gunning for my property and they have lawyers. I don’t have any money to pay for one. Besides, I’m too old to fight them.” Pointing a knobby finger at the letter, she sniffs. “I heard they want to build new condos.”
Whoever came to her is cruel for doing this. They must’ve known.
“It’s okay, Ms. Ogden, it’s not your fault.”
“I tried to get more time, but they wouldn’t budge.” She shakes her head. “People like that don’t care about people like us.”
Byus, she means those without money. She doesn’t know about my family—no one in the complex does—and I’m not about to bring it up.
Thirty days isn’t much time. I don’t have a ton of furniture, but enough that I’ll have to ask someone for help. I could sell it all. Or I could leave it behind. Even without those things, it’ll be nearly impossible to find a new apartment in that time. It’s almost the middle of June, and summer is always a busy moving season. Not to mention, every tenant from all four floors is going to be doing the same thing.
“What am I going to do?” I whisper, staring at the note.
“I called my son and told him to get me into a retirement home.” Ms. Ogden pats my shoulder. “You still have time to find a pack to take care of you.”
