WHY ME

2: The

Point

tment. My phone sat on the coffee table, and Dante's text stared back at me. "Meet me tomorrow at the park on 5th Street. Noon. I have an offer you can't re

out, the soles thin enough to feel every pebble. I grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen, my breakfast, and headed out

geons from a bench. I scanned the crowd, my heart thumping. Then I saw him. Dante Sinclair stood under a big oak tree, still in a

nodding as I wal

said, crossing my arms over m

a bench nearby.

cold, and I shifted, trying to get comfortable. Dante sat too, his hands

low. "Medical bills. Rent. Food. It's too much

"I'm doing fine," I lied. "I do

're not fine. I can h

g forward. "You don't kn

carefully. "I made a promise to someone. T

'd make you promise

n't matter. What matters is I can gi

reaking. "A better life? What, you gonna wave

ling a folded paper from

ike it might bite me. "

ords were small and neat, but I didn't re

bills, cover your medical costs, and set up a fund for your child. Aft

ranger? I looked at the paper, my hands shaking. The words blurred together, but

the paper back at him. "I'm no

s eyes locked on mine. "It's about

ly. "I don't trust you.

l, towering over me, but his voice was calm. "I don't

e loud enough that a mom nearby glanced

wouldn't take it. You're too proud. This way, it's a

own too long, fighting to prove I didn't need anyone. But now, with a baby coming, I wasn't so sure. I l

out it," I said fin

e the contract again. "But don't wai

look back, but I felt his eyes on me as I walked away. The park felt too loud

a year, live with him, act like his wife in public. In return, he'd pay off my debts and give me a bank account with more money than I'd ever seen. Aft

face. My phone , and I jumped. Another text from

Elara. He's not

o sent it. I stared at the words, my heart pounding. Who was this? How did t

ands cold. I looked at the contract again, then back at the text. My head hurt from all the

all Lucy, tell her everything, but I didn't. This felt too big, too strange. I stopped an

ough the peephole. A woman stood there, tall and blonde, with a fancy coat and

door, her voice smooth but cold. "We n

at my phone, the mystery text message still glowing on the screen. My stomach twisted as