Game of Love (The Remingtons, Book One: Love in Bloom Series)

Chapter Seven, Game of Love

Chapter Seven

ELLIE AWOKE TO hot, rancid breath on her face. Her eyes sprang open, and she pushed the man hovering over her away and jumped to her feet.

"What the hell?" she yelled. Her eyes darted to the open bedroom door. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and every muscle tensed. Memories of when she was a teenager came rushing back to her. She snagged her phone from the couch and shoved it into the pocket of her sweats with one thing on her mind. Getting the hell out of there.

"Chill out." The guy from the bar stood before her wearing nothing but a T-shirt, and he was clearly aroused.

"Dina?" she called out.

"Shh." He stumbled backward. "She's asleep," the guy said. He stretched, and his erection bounced against him.

"Jesus. Why are you out here? Get some clothes on." Ellie pushed her feet into her boots. No matter what this guy's excuse was for standing there with his dick out, there was no way it would be a good one. She stuffed her toiletry bag into her suitcase.

"I came out to use the bathroom and saw you on the couch. Dee didn't say anything about a roommate." He yawned, looking entirely too comfortable with his nudity.

"Dina," she snapped. "Her name is Dina." She stuffed her clothes into her bag and zipped it up. This was all she needed. There was no way in hell she was staying here.

"Yeah, whatever. What are you doing?" He took a step closer to her.

"Stop." She held her hand up. "Just...stay there. I'm going to a friend's. Tell Dina I said thanks for everything." She left the key on the counter and walked out the door.

"You don't have to leave," he said before it slammed.

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck." Ellie hurried down the stairs with her purse over her shoulder and her suitcase thunking down the steps behind her. Seeing a naked guy was nothing new to her. Living in the dorms and then sharing an apartment with three women meant seeing more unclothed men than she cared to admit, usually running into them coming or going in the middle of the night on their way to the bathroom or coming out of the shower. But waking up to him so close to her had caught her completely off guard. And after what had happened when she lived on Carlisle Street, her mind screamed, Run. Get out. Now.

The night air stung her cheeks. The streets were eerily quiet, except for the cachunk, cachunk of her suitcase as she dragged it along the sidewalk. Now what am I going to do? Her interview was in a few short hours, and she desperately needed to shower before showing up, not to mention sleep. She stopped into the nearest diner open at 4:45 in the morning for a cup of coffee, then leaned against the front of the building, both hands wrapped around the cup to warm them. She never saw the hooded man until he was already upon her. He slowed just long enough to snag her purse right off her arm, sending her coffee into the air, and took off down the alley.

"Hey!" She grabbed her suitcase and ran after him, giving up a block later when he disappeared into the pre-dawn darkness. Ellie stomped her foot. "Fuck!" She went back out to the main drag, willing away the tears that threatened to send her legs crumbling beneath her. Suck it up. You're fine. Figure it out.

She had no money, no place to stay, and an interview she'd surely bomb on the horizon. She was screwed.

Ellie pulled out her best pep talk. I made it through ten foster homes, almost being raped, college, and Bruce. I can't give up now. This is a setback. That's it. Figure it the fuck out.

Dexy.

No. She couldn't do that to him. She shivered from the situation and from the cool air. I'm not a sixteen-year-old kid in the system anymore. Her asshole social worker's voice came back to her—Once the system touches you, you're always a product of the system—whatever the hell that meant. She'd said it with a slant of negativity in her voice. That damn social worker was the impetus for Ellie to pursue her master's in minority and urban education. Even though she had no idea what she'd meant by "always a product of the system," Ellie had felt the need to prove her wrong. Even if it took forever. Even if it sucked along the way.

Ellie pulled her shoulders back and tucked her pride somewhere deep within her, where she could pull it out when she needed it, but not close enough to the surface to make her stop from going to the only place she could. And maybe even the only place she wanted to.