The Price of Love (A Price Novel Book 1) by Maggi Craft Page A

anything I can do to change your mind? I’ll beg if I have to.” He smiled, batted his eyes, and got on his knees.
    I couldn’t help but laugh. I quickly pulled him off the floor. “No, that’s not it. I guess what I’m saying is, I think I have feelings for you, and I have to go back to school. You’re going to be here. I can’t date you.”
    He looked aggravated. “Why does this have to be the end? Why does your leaving in a few weeks have to end our relationship? I haven’t re-signed any contracts here. I’m going home when this one is over. I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to be in LA with you.”
    I was so surprised that I didn’t know what to say. He reached down and kissed me, and of course I melted and gave in. Like I ever really had a chance. “OK, I’ll stay.”
    The next morning when I woke up, I noticed he had left me a note.
    Please be here when I get back! Love, S
    That made me smile. I loved knowing he cared enough about me to leave a note. I did feel better about things since we’d talked last night — but still, something about Kinley’s demeanor made me think I was overlooking something. Had they dated? Or maybe she just had a thing for him.
No, that’s not it.
He was a little ugly to her at the show, and that wasn’t like him. There had to be a reason for that kind of animosity.
    I decided since I was alone in his apartment, I should just do a little recon mission. I looked in the most obvious place first: his nightstand drawer. I found a phone charger, some change, lip balm, a credit card with his dad’s name on it, a few pieces of scrap paper with phone numbers on them in other people’s handwriting, a couple pens, two rubber bands, a barrette, batteries — which were hopefully for the remote — and two strips of Trojan condoms. One longer than the other. So I knew some were missing. Ugh, that made me sick.
Why did I do this again?
At least I knew he was being safe. I should have stopped there, but of course curiosity got the best of me.
    Next, I went into the bathroom. I saw a bag hanging on a hook on the back of the door. In there were a razor, shaving cream, a small deodorant, and two condoms. Geez, he sure was prepared.
I guess he doesn’t leave home without them
. I decided to move on to his medicine cabinet. At first glance, it looked like every other medicine cabinet, holding deodorant, ibuprofen, hair products, toothpaste, a toothbrush, dental floss, Crest Whitestrips, and tampons.
Tampons?
They were up on the top shelf. That was odd. You wouldn’t think he would bring home some girl to just “hook up” if she needed tampons, surely. So, who would have stayed there who needed tampons? Beside the tampons was what looked to be at least a one-carat diamond earring.
    I was still reaching into Slayde’s medicine cabinet when he stuck his head in the bathroom door that I’d left half-open. I jumped, knocking the bottle of ibuprofen out of the cabinet and into the toilet.
    “What are you doing?” he asked but not in a suspicious tone. I was pretty sure it was just a general question; it didn’t sound like he suspected anything.
    “I have a headache, and I was looking for some medicine.” It was the first thing that came to me. I really didn’t have a headache, but surely he wouldn’t make me take the medicine after it had fallen in the toilet.
    Smiling, he said, “Lucky for you I have more in the kitchen.”
He bought it — but why shouldn’t he? He wouldn’t expect a sane person to be snooping through his stuff.
Good thing I wasn’t still digging in his shaving bag; that would have been hard to explain. He went to the kitchen to get me something for my nonexistent headache, and I fished the ibuprofen out of the toilet.
    What a bad idea. I didn’t find anything that would prove anything. All of that stuff could have been there for who knows how long. He’d been there, like, four years. He was a guy. Guys don’t clean out drawers.
    The condoms everywhere