money to pay my debts off.”
“Who do you think will lend it to you?”
She looked back up at him. “My grandmother or…,” she stopped and smiled, unable to help herself, “Maybe my new grandfather. He’s a nice guy.”
He nodded. “Let me get this straight. You don’t want to take the necklace, which is real, because you’re addicted to jewels. Is that right?”
She snorted. “You make me sound stupid!”
He held up a hand. “No, no! I didn’t mean it that way. I just want to understand you.”
He stepped towards her and took the box from her unresisting hand. He opened it and looked at the necklace again before snapping the case closed. “Will you quit cold turkey?”
She nodded and whispered, “I have to.”
He held the case out to her again. “I understand, but do it after today, take this now. Tell him it’s fake if you want to wear it, or if you don’t put it in a drawer and twenty years from now take it out and think of me. Remember today.”
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and started up at the ceiling. She wanted the necklace, there was no doubt about that but more than the necklace she wanted to grab him and kiss him and lead him back to the bedroom. He was more addictive than any shiny, pretty thing.
She took the box from him and moved towards the door. She turned to see him looking at her and she quickly went back to him and reached up to bring his mouth to hers. She kissed him with everything she had in her and when she pulled back she felt dizzy with longing. She didn’t look at him as she walked over to the door, opened it, stepped through it and shut it behind her.
She hurried down the steps and out the gate, not daring to look back. At the end of the block she began running, uncaring of where she was . She didn’t stop until she saw a sign for the underground.
Chapter Fourteen
It was half past ten when she walked in her front door and Sam wasn’t home yet. She was glad. She didn’t have the strength to face him yet. She went through to the bedroom, took off her clothes and stepped into a hot shower. The warm water felt good on her back but she didn’t linger. She got out and started a load of clothes, trying to wash away the smell of Lucas.
She left the kitchen and made sure that both bolts on the front door were engaged, that way she would hear Sam when he got home. Taking the necklace case from her jacket pocket she put it on the bed before digging in her drawer and getting out the bracelet and ring that Lucas had given her.
Paranoid she looked out the window at the street below, checking to see if she could see Sam, and when the street was deserted she went over to the closet and got out her suitcase. Inside it was a smaller suitcase that she pulled out and took to the bed with her.
Sitting down in the middle of the bed she carefully unwrapped the ring and put it on before taking the bracelet out of its wrapping and putting it on her wrist. Once those were on she opened the suitcase and dug down.
What looked like sweaters actually concealed her treasure. Three layers down she found her first treasure, a platinum bracelet with a small, diamond heart dangling from it. It had been her first purchase and it had cost her five hundred dollars, a lot of money for a poor, college student. Next was an emerald bracelet, surrounded by tiny, glittery diamonds. It had been her biggest purchase at four thousand dollars but she loved it still.
She put it on, next to the filigree bracelet that Lucas had given her, and she smiled. Reaching back into the suitcase she came up with two diamond tennis bracelets, two pairs of diamond earrings, a pair of ruby earrings, a tiny diamond and sapphire necklace and a small emerald and sapphire brooch that had reminded her of one that her grandmother had.
She looked down at the bed, at her treasure spread out on it, and while she knew that she was looking at forty thousand dollars in credit card debt, part of
“Who do you think will lend it to you?”
She looked back up at him. “My grandmother or…,” she stopped and smiled, unable to help herself, “Maybe my new grandfather. He’s a nice guy.”
He nodded. “Let me get this straight. You don’t want to take the necklace, which is real, because you’re addicted to jewels. Is that right?”
She snorted. “You make me sound stupid!”
He held up a hand. “No, no! I didn’t mean it that way. I just want to understand you.”
He stepped towards her and took the box from her unresisting hand. He opened it and looked at the necklace again before snapping the case closed. “Will you quit cold turkey?”
She nodded and whispered, “I have to.”
He held the case out to her again. “I understand, but do it after today, take this now. Tell him it’s fake if you want to wear it, or if you don’t put it in a drawer and twenty years from now take it out and think of me. Remember today.”
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and started up at the ceiling. She wanted the necklace, there was no doubt about that but more than the necklace she wanted to grab him and kiss him and lead him back to the bedroom. He was more addictive than any shiny, pretty thing.
She took the box from him and moved towards the door. She turned to see him looking at her and she quickly went back to him and reached up to bring his mouth to hers. She kissed him with everything she had in her and when she pulled back she felt dizzy with longing. She didn’t look at him as she walked over to the door, opened it, stepped through it and shut it behind her.
She hurried down the steps and out the gate, not daring to look back. At the end of the block she began running, uncaring of where she was . She didn’t stop until she saw a sign for the underground.
Chapter Fourteen
It was half past ten when she walked in her front door and Sam wasn’t home yet. She was glad. She didn’t have the strength to face him yet. She went through to the bedroom, took off her clothes and stepped into a hot shower. The warm water felt good on her back but she didn’t linger. She got out and started a load of clothes, trying to wash away the smell of Lucas.
She left the kitchen and made sure that both bolts on the front door were engaged, that way she would hear Sam when he got home. Taking the necklace case from her jacket pocket she put it on the bed before digging in her drawer and getting out the bracelet and ring that Lucas had given her.
Paranoid she looked out the window at the street below, checking to see if she could see Sam, and when the street was deserted she went over to the closet and got out her suitcase. Inside it was a smaller suitcase that she pulled out and took to the bed with her.
Sitting down in the middle of the bed she carefully unwrapped the ring and put it on before taking the bracelet out of its wrapping and putting it on her wrist. Once those were on she opened the suitcase and dug down.
What looked like sweaters actually concealed her treasure. Three layers down she found her first treasure, a platinum bracelet with a small, diamond heart dangling from it. It had been her first purchase and it had cost her five hundred dollars, a lot of money for a poor, college student. Next was an emerald bracelet, surrounded by tiny, glittery diamonds. It had been her biggest purchase at four thousand dollars but she loved it still.
She put it on, next to the filigree bracelet that Lucas had given her, and she smiled. Reaching back into the suitcase she came up with two diamond tennis bracelets, two pairs of diamond earrings, a pair of ruby earrings, a tiny diamond and sapphire necklace and a small emerald and sapphire brooch that had reminded her of one that her grandmother had.
She looked down at the bed, at her treasure spread out on it, and while she knew that she was looking at forty thousand dollars in credit card debt, part of
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