Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 131209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Do I wake him?
“Mom… stop… please stop… Dad… please…” he pleaded still sleeping. His voice was pure panic and desperation.
I moved into autopilot and placed myself in his arms once again, draping my entire body over his as I lay beside him. I rubbed my hand back and forth over his chest in a soothing, comforting motion, whispering, “Shhh…” over and over again.
It only took a few minutes till his breathing labored and he stopped panicking. Sleep had once again taken over and I smiled. I was able to ease him and stop the nightmare. I felt like I had just won the lottery or something.
I kissed his chest and murmured the only thing I knew to be true.
“I love you.”
<>D<>
My eyes fluttered open and it was daytime. I didn’t remember falling asleep. Brooke was awake and staring at me, smiling. Much different than the girl she was before we had fallen asleep.
“You have slept like fourteen hours,” she stated.
“No I didn’t.”
She nodded. “Yeah, you did.”
I couldn’t believe it.
“I calmed you,” she proudly stated.
“What?”
“You were having a nightmare and I calmed you.”
I looked around the room confused and then I remembered that I dreamt about my father. We were in his police car after his award ceremony, and he was pissed that other officers were looking at my mother. So he started hitting her, trying to knock her head against the dashboard to make her ugly for other men. I remembered trying to break through the cage from the backseat and then it was gone. The memory vanished.
I chuckled, looking at her and she was still smiling, realizing that I remembered.
“I don’t even know what to say,” I replied.
She shrugged. “I have magical powers. I was really a fairy in my past life; Tinker Bell and I go way back.”
I laughed again. “I could see you bouncing around in a skimpy green dress.”
She shook her head. “Mine was pink.”
“My pink fairy princess?”
“No… I’m your Bambi.”
I reached over and pulled her hair out of her face, and then rubbed at the back of her neck. “I like Bambi.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
We stayed like that for the next few hours, just laying in each other’s arms in comfortable silence.
“You’re right,” she announced out of nowhere.
“About what?”
“My dad. You’re right about what you said. He’s always been an amazing father to my sisters and me. Always provided for us, was at every sporting event, never missed dinner with his family, and told us he loved us several times a day.”
“That sounds really nice.”
She moved her chin to sit on my chest and drew what felt like hearts on my ribcage.
“I remember the first time he taught me how to ride a bike. I had fallen and skinned my knee; I thought I was going to die. I was a very dramatic child. He fixed me all up and then kissed over the band aid, telling me that he loved me and that he would always make my pain go away.” She laughed, recalling that day.
“My parents have always had this amazing marriage, even after I found out about his other lifestyle. Nothing changed. I didn’t understand and I still don’t. But somehow they’ve made it work. My best friend growing up had a brother who was about two years older than me. He was there the night I found out… it was my sixteenth birthday and I kind of conned him into taking my virginity.”
I raised my eyebrows; surprised she was sharing all this with me. I knew she hadn’t ever told anyone before.
“Anyway, for the next two years we kept having sex and he became like my best friend. He wanted more and I was such a bitch to him; I used him. He loved me and a part of me loved him, too… but I fucked it up. I haven’t seen him since I was eighteen; I guess that was about twelve years ago. I haven’t seen his sister in maybe eight or nine. We both went our separate ways, so our friendship didn’t carry over.”
“Why did you become a VIP?” I finally asked the question that had been plaguing my mind.
“I found a business card in my dad’s safe the night of my high school graduation party. It had big bold silver lettering that said VIP on the front and on the back, an address and phone number. I Googled it and it led me there. I watched Madam for months before I went to her, and that’s not how things are done. She chooses, not the other way around. Which I think is why I’m one of her favorites; I was different.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
She bit her cheek and then sighed. “I’m not lying to you, Devon. I do love VIP. I do. I know you don’t understand that, but it’s home to me. I can’t explain it to you any other way.”