If these people knew who I was married to, they’d drag me back there for a hefty reward. And this ring on my finger gives everything away.
I peel it off like dead weight and cast it away from me. The ring tumbles through a drain in the middle of the street and clatters into the sewers. Good fucking riddance.
But what do I do now? How do I survive on my own? If I can’t go to my family, where do I go? Who do I turn to in this country where I don’t know a soul? I’ve got no one here in the Netherlands—no one except Easton Van Buren—and I’m never going back to him. I’d rather sit here all by myself in this alley.
My clothes begin to itch, and I realize then that I’m still carrying the notebook in my underwear. I fish it out and readjust my clothes while I stare at it. All this trouble just because of this notebook.
I flip through the pages, but the words don’t read like my own. They read like they were written by a teenager, a girl with no clue about the real world. God, I was so gullible.
I chuck it into a trash bin up ahead where it belongs. I should’ve done that before I went to the store with Jill instead of holding onto it just because it was mine.
At least now Easton won’t be able to use my thoughts and ideas against me.
As I gaze up, the sky opens up, and rain starts to pour down. “Oh, great …”
Not only am I lost in an unfamiliar country without a place to stay and without any access to money, but now my clothes will get wet too. I shake off the drops as they fall, but the more I move, the more soaked my dress gets until it sticks to my skin like glue.
I should find someplace to stay. Maybe a hotel will be generous and let me stay the night. At least then I can take a warm shower and maybe grab some fresh clothes from someone. Something that looks a little less ridiculous and over the top.
I should at least give it a try, so I take a deep breath and get up. Walking out of that alley in soaked clothes puts a damper on my spirit, but I can handle this. It’s only rain. I’m not stuck in that house anymore like some pet on a leash. I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want.
First thing’s first … find a hotel that’ll let me in for the night.
Despite the stares, I do my best to fit into the crowd as I walk around the city and enter the first hotel I can find. However, from the moment I step inside, I get nasty looks. It doesn’t help that the first few I come across are four-star hotels.
The first hotel that doesn’t bounce me immediately is the fifth in the line of hotels I’ve visited, but I guess five’s a charm. I keep a smile on my face at all times as I approach the front desk.
“Hi,” I say, assuming he speaks English. “Can I get a room, please?”
“Of course, ma’am,” the man behind the desk says. “What kind of room are you looking for?”
“Any is fine. Whatever you can give me.”
He narrows his eyes and places a form in front of me. “We accept credit cards only.”
My lips part as I stare at him while he looks at my soggy dress with furrowed brows. We’re both searching for the non-existent pockets because I have no bag, and there’s no way I could carry a credit card like this. And he’s right. I have nothing to pay him with except gratitude.
“I … I don’t have any,” I say with a weak voice.
He makes a face. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I wish we could take cash, but—”
“I don’t have that either,” I interrupt, and I lean over the counter. “But I will pay it back. I promise.” I bite my lip and stare at him with big eyes, hoping to appeal to his noble side.
“I’m sorry, but we—”
“Please, I have nowhere else to stay. Don’t you have a tiny room? Just a single bed and shower, nothing else? I’ll take anything you can give me.”
I’ve never begged or groveled in my life, but today I will. Though it’s embarrassing, and I can feel the eyeballs of other guests on my back, I will not give in to shame.
“Ma’am, we can’t.” He slides his hand back as if he’s afraid I’ll touch him. “If you cannot pay for your stay, please find a different accommodation.”
“Please …” I beg, tears welling up in my eyes. “I don’t know this city or any of the people. I can’t go home either.”