“I’m a what now?” Hayden says, sauntering in, bright blue eyes unamused.
“Girl talk,” Helen says quickly. “All men are pricks.”
“Amusing,” Hayden says. He doesn’t look amused.
She doesn’t bat an eye. “Dessert?”
“I should be going,” I say to her, avoiding looking at Romain’s father.
Helen gives me a nod and an apologetic look. “Of course, let me get your coat.” She puts down the plates and disappears into the hallway.
I walk past Hayden to leave the room too, but he grabs me by the arm, holding me tight, cold blue eyes ripping through the layers of bullshit. “Heading back to fuck my son?” he asks, his voice dangerously quiet.
I open my mouth to reply, but no words come out. Inside my chest, my heart races as I try to think of an answer. “I don’t know what you’re tal—”
“Don’t bullshit me, little girl. I know my son’s signature when I see one.” He yanks me closer, reaching up to run a finger over the collar around my neck.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, knocking his hand away.
He sneers. “Rome has spent a small fortune on you. That must mean you’re a special little whore?”
I try to escape the kitchen, but Hayden is gripping my arm tight.
“Let me go,” I hiss.
“Or you’ll what? Scream? Does that cunt out there know you’re fucking a student?”
Immediately, I stop struggling.
He grins, the first time I’ve seen him bare his teeth, “Good girl. Now, tell Helen that you’d like to stay for dessert. It’s rude to leave a dinner party early, and I’d like to get to know the whore my son is besotted with enough to spend a portion of his inheritance on.”
I glare at him. “Fine, I’ll stay.”
Helen is confused when I change my mind, but she quickly goes back to playing hostess, serving everyone chocolate torte with ice cream.
While Helen talks, I try to carry on as though nothing has happened, answering Hayden’s questions as politely as I can. Only the questions I can answer. Where did I grow up? Where did I go to school? What was my major? Who was my real father?
The last one I can’t because I have no idea.
I also can’t eat dessert, so I just smush it up in the bowl until Hayden tires of my one-word responses and announces he’s done for the night. Not before leaning over to kiss me on the cheek, lingering a bit too long for my liking.
“Don’t think because you have my son’s attention right now that you’re safe. Romain and I have an understanding.” When I frown at him, he sneers and slides a hand roughly up my skirt when Helen isn’t looking to let that sink in.
Helen seems ruffled after the men are gone, and her eyes dart everywhere around the room but on me.
“I’m sorry…” she says as I say good night, ready to leave.
I shake my head. “It’s not your fault,” I say. “It’s mine.”
I should have never come back. My stepfather seems to think he owns me and can sell me off to the highest bidder. As well, rekindling things with Romain is a mistake. I see that now.
I’m almost at my apartment when I decide to take off the choker. I don’t want it on me anymore. Hot tears slide down my cheeks as I stuff it in my coat pocket.
My empty coat pocket.
The journal is gone.
My heart is racing when I get back to my room. I considered going back to Helen’s to look for it, and then I actually did, but she hadn’t seen it, and it wasn’t in her place anywhere. I must have dropped it somewhere on the way to her house. That’s the only explanation.