Deuce-ace roommate

DAISY

"Where are we going?" I asked the girl arranging my hair.

"Somewhere fun, just the two of us." She answered, her eyes staring at mine from the mirror ahead of us.

"And why do I need to wear your heels and dress?"

"Because we need to look elegant, Daisy. When will you stop arguing." She huffed from behind me and continue doing my hair.

For weeks Riley had been treating me poorly so it's astonished me when she walked into the room with a smile on her face and insist to take me out after I've had a painful conversation with my father and he had shown no intention of seeing mom.

I mean he should care for her, even if he had no means of making money. She is his wife. She deserves better.

But of course, he is a renegade. Mom would be disappointed in him. It was the reason I didn't tell her about him.

When I tried Riley's dress on-it comes off great on me.

"Great!" She grinned.

"Hmm..." I sighed.

"There are no guards tonight is just us, so we are not letting them know we've escaped." Riley has said.

I don't know how to feel because I was just attacked two weeks ago.

"I will keep you safe." She promised but I don't know if I should trust her.

Let's say she meant her words, Caden is not some little boy who we can deal with. No, he is a tall, broad man.

Although I didn't say anything, I didn't oppose. If tonight would bring back our friendship I am up to that.

The house was empty because Cuppy was with my father, the dog has a great memory.
Oh did I mention that earlier today Kay had decided my father to move to the two-bedroom penthouse on the eighteenth floor?

It was so generous of him to do that.

It's new to me seeing the sweet side of Kay. It suits him well.

***

In one of Kay's cars, Riley had driven us to some five stars nightclub.

I had to muster up all the patience I have in me to not run back to our ride.

"This is the place we are having the fun?" I questioned.

"Isn't it great? Different hot bodies." She grins and suddenly I know where this is going.

She brought me here for some other purpose of hers not because she wanted us to spend any girl time together.

I shouldn't be surprised though, on Monday night at the movie she had forced Kay to leave me behind. Malik had to take me home. The rest of that week she had been talking about bearded men, she had talked about different personalities in men and insisted on bald men been the cutest. I mean she tried to claim beauty in anything that was opposite of Kay to distract me from him.

And if I am being honest. She was right. She's been a good girlfriend, only right now I am also Kay's girlfriend.

How does Kay ended up with two girlfriends? Oh, I remember! It's all because I wasn't ready to come clean and face Riley with the truth.

When I followed her into the nightclub, I wasn't even stable on the long heels with strangers' eyes on me.

We walked to the bar and sat around the counter, Riley ordered some drinks for us before bringing her full attention to me.

"So you never come to a nightclub like this?" She asked.

I looked around the place and it's pretty classy.
"This is quite fancy."

"It is, we got in because they know I am the girlfriend of the elected governor's son." She bragged.

"That's cool." It was all I could say.

"It is. The power is great. Some would kill for it. There are a lot of things people would do for it. Not caring for the consequences and who they might hurt in the process."

I didn't want Kay because of what he had, I only wanted him because he was my first friend. He was the only reason I regretted leaving the country in the first place.

I didn't have a comeback though, I know if I try I could end up spilling out tears so when the bartender showed up with two cups of only God knows what, and diverted the conversation, I was grateful.
"And here are your order." He sits the cup on the surface and offers us a smile.

"Thank you." I nodded and Riley brought out her credit card and hold it out to the man.

"It's been paid by those men." He motioned to some older men in Italian suits sitting at the far end of the counter.

"Well, that was fast," Riley said and shove back her card into her small purse. "Maybe we should thank them." She added after some period of time.

"You have a boyfriend." I remind her.

"It doesn't have to be me. You're single." She cock her head and smiled maliciously.

What has happened to her?

"I don't want to approach any group of men right now." I sternly tell her.

"Stop being naive. Have fun. This is what a college girl should do. What happened to the great experience." She rolled her eyes.

"Not prostitution."

"Excuse me?" her brows rise at me.

"Look, you know me. You should know I am not interested in any man right now."

"I hope so." She mumbled and sipped her drink.

By the time we finished the glass, we had ordered more.

None among us dance, we've even gotten some proposals but I kept turning them down.

You can say our night out had been a total loss for Riley because by the time we got back to Center Yorker she was fuming again.

In case I didn't make myself clear, we didn't take any alcoholic drink from the bar so we were both aware of the presence.

Back at the penthouse, Kay was seated in the living room and the guards were everywhere around the penthouse.

When we walked in, she abruptly shoots up.

There was that darkness in his eyes when he approached us.

"Where the fuck have you two been? Did you know how worried I was?"

"Yay, I should be proud for once my boyfriend cares about me. Unless is not me you meant?" She sarcastically remarks and took off her shoes before heading for the kitchen.

"What does that mean?" Kay questioned her

"You know what I mean. Stop acting oblivious, we all know I am not worthy of all this security. So say it out loud. But you should be happy. Caden didn't show up. You can hire me to keep her safe too, I've proven to be a better protection than all these muscles." She jerks her head towards the guards.

I had nothing to say, so instead, I headed upstairs and stay out of their business even though it concerns me.

After I had taken a shower and change into my nightwear, I receive a call from mom, she sounded excited, but her tone was low.

It triggers me to apply for the stripping job I've seen online while talking to her on the phone.

"I hope you're studying right there." She had asked.

I wanted to tell her I had an incomplete because Caden was after me, I wanted to tell her everything but I couldn't.

I wasn't strong enough. I was afraid my words could harm her.

What if they do?

So I tell her half of the truth. "Yes."

"That is great." She mumbled in the receiver and my heart broke.

I want to see her.

I slide the drawer of the nightstand and brought out the small box I've been saving my payments and tips.

My trembling fingers yank the lid and open the box. With all the things I had to buy in the past days-what was left in there was little and could not even pay for a flight within the nation.

"Mom I don't know if I can be able to come and see you." I croak when I admitted.

And it was a week until Christmas.

"Is okay, my love. I understand." She simply said. I can never forgive myself if anything happened to her before I couldn't raise money to be there for her.

No! Is not right. She's probably... She needs me.

"I tried, I-I tried but apparently money doesn't grow from the trees." I sobbed, staring at my little saving.

"Is okay, Daisy. Don't pressure yourself. Is okay. You need to study, you need to become a good doctor someday and save lives even if it's not mine."

"You are going to be okay." I retorted, sniveling.

"I will be, but right now you have to help me from there and focus on studies."

"You need me, I want to be there for you. You shouldn't be alone. Maybe I could sell the car and get you a lung replacement." I cried.

"That car is worth too little my dear. And I thought we've talked about the replacement. I don't want any. Is just a waste of money. Please use the little you have and look after yourself. I will be okay." She insisted.

How can this world be so cruel? This is the woman who suffered and struggled to look after me when I had nothing left.

She deserves happiness, not pain. Not hospice care for fucking sake.

"Please, mom." I choked on my breathe.

How is she strong? How does she do it? I can't hold up. I am breaking every single day.

"Oh, my child. It's night already, I know the time there, you should sleep." She said.

"But is hard." Sleeping is hard.

"Is not, all you need is great memories and that's all. Please have some rest, my dear. I love you." She had promised.

"I love you too."

After I hanged up the call, I lay on the bed and cry myself to sleep.

But what I woke up to in the morning was a credit mail from my bank with a generous amount of money transferred into my account.

But it was easy to know who sent it because the name was just right here.

Kaiser Chandler.

Anger got the best of me, without thinking I step down the stairs and it wasn't hard looking for him.

There was music from the gymnasium.
I hurried for the direction and barge into his workout session.

And boi, fuck, if this view wasn't the sexiest aspect I've had for a while.

Muscles and veins. They were everywhere.

His messy hair was damped and clogging against his sweaty forehead.

He was barefooted and shirtless, his tattooed skin was glowing from the sweat he was producing and his torso was to die for. His chiseled biceps, his muscular back. Everything was like he created himself. He was perfect.

He was only wearing joggers and it hung very low around his waist and that sharp V-line. Damn.

Shake it off, Daisy.

Observing his beauty isn't what I came here for. I take a deep breath and advance forward until he noticed my presence.

"Hey good morning." He flashes me a lopsided smile and my mouth was already getting dry.

Think, Daisy.

I shook my head and take another deep breath.

He was standing some feet away from me. I can do it.

"Why did you sent me that money?"

The smile immediately faded and he answers softly: "I wanted to help."

"Am I a charity to you?" I exhaled, my mouth agape at him.

"What? No! Of course not! I-I heard you speaking with your mother last night."

What?

"And you fucking eavesdropped on me? Oh my God." My eyes closed, I turned around with my fingers in my hair.

"I didn't mean to, I wanted to check on you and... I heard you crying." His voice low at the last statement.

"That is the same thing, Kay." I turned back to him.

"I didn't mean to." He said and swallowed. He looked pained.

He shouldn't be. He is the son of one of the richest men in America.

"Well, that's why you send me money I didn't want into my account. Great!" I chuckled. A frustrated chuckle.

"I just wanted to help." He muttered from across me.

"Alright, you would, because I am sending it to any online charity site I can find." I began scrolling through Google until my eyes found something interesting. "Ha!" I grin at him.

"Daisy..." He sadly swallowed when I interrupted him. "Look, here is a man who needs money for surgery. This would do." I exasperatedly smile and start the process until the goddamn money had moved out of my account.

When my eyes meet his, there were tears in mine and pity in his.

Well, he can look at me like that. That's how fucked up I am. He should be glad he found out.

"Do not ever send me your money like that," I emphasized and walked out of the gym, leaving him in his stance.