ey'

against my chest, my feet sore and my head pounding from a

door, something stiff br

lin

pa

d taped t

to the floor with a soft th

ister. My eyes scanned the fir

OF EV

You have seven days t

ownership and re-evaluatio

t read

ees b

My heart sk

the paper as if squeezing it would change the words

the wall until I was sitting on the hallwa

? W

. My job was gone. Eric... God, E

ing their way down my cheek

city within a week. Not when I was "Still jobless. Still humi

lway wa

qu

soft sobs feel louder th

ending to be fine. Tired of everything crashing down all at onc

n cue, my phone b

the screen I h

ael G

nd ho

guess it's not a big dea

righ

w, I was

t be the only on

't cal

hone for hours, mocking me like a cr

on

e with you. Cry with you. Shiver in the cold

ke a drowning girl

Next Day**

ice still clutched tightly in her hand. Her chest ro

d Aria, needing her calm, her reaso

ame through, concerned.

aid quietly, her voice raw. "Aria..

e spiked. "Are you

have never missed a payment," Her voice broke,

eep breaths. I

aid, wiping her eye

already sounding like s

lled," Riley whi

went

t know why he's calling. I mean... I tore hi

Gray," Aria said dryly. "Powerf

, Aria," Ri

man, not a god. Yo

"Like walking in on my bo

d. "Too so

ing at her phone screen.

out. Just... be smart, okay

ded. "Yea

ll coming over. You

faintly. "T

tepped inside, arms open. R

more than they reasoned, and

, Aria sto

ust breathe. Call me if any

" Riley said sof

" Aria shut the

phone was still on the table, silent now. She reached for it, sta

k. K

ad jer

frow

ria must have fo

the door, pu

fr

eath c

sn't

anyone she

wanted to see standing on