Lake sat down at her desk and turned on the computer. It was going to take five minutes for the thing to start up, but it would eventually get there. The paper was going to suck to write; however, the best part was she only had to make sure it was a ‘C’ grade paper, because a ‘C’ for Ashley was like getting an ‘A.’
Still waiting for the computer to fully start, she couldn’t help thinking about how the day had somehow managed to be worse than the previous one. John had given her twice the workload than usual, and her body couldn’t physically take it, nor could her mind. She hadn’t cried or reacted that way in a good while, and the only thing she wanted to blame it on was the fact that John had worked her to death. Don’t even think it. She didn’t want to believe she had possibly had a mental breakdown because of Vincent.
Lake squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the thoughts of Vincent away. She was determined he was going to become dead to her. That was going to be the end of whatever they’d had for not even twenty-four hours.
Just six more months…
Lake’s end of her problems was going to come in June when she could finally graduate. Then no one—not John, Ashley, or even the mob—could own her. Lake would finally be a free woman. She was determined no one was going to change that, either.
At last, Lake could see her end in sight and nothing, nothing was going to come between her and her freedom.
Lake shed a happy tear. She could already hear the victory bells ringing.
Ding, dong. Ding, dong…
Chapter Ten
The Story of Vincent and Lake
The next few months felt almost as if someone was flipping through the pages of a book, skimming to the end.
Each chapter became a month. Then, before they knew it, they were six chapters in and finally at the month of June.
However, the story of Vincent and Lake had only just begun.
Chapter Eleven
A New Beginning and A Happily Ever After
Lake tapped her finger on the desk as she stared down the clock.
“Earth to Lake, are you even listening?” Adalyn snapped her fingers in front of her.
“What?” She turned her head away from the clock, only to look right back at it.
“You do know we have a whole hour left, right? And we need to discuss our plans for this weekend.”
That time when Lake turned her head, she kept her focus on Adalyn. “Okay. I’m sorry. So, what are the plans for this weekend that I am sure I will have no say in?”
“Oh, Lake, you know me too well. All right, so tomorrow we go to our graduation, of course!” Adalyn began clapping her hands together with a cheesy smile on her face. “Then we sit through Vincent’s graduation and go to Nero’s party. Okay, good talk.” The last sentence came out fast in an attempt to distract Lake from her words.
“Yes, no, and no.”
“Really, Lake? What the hell happened between you and Vincent? And don’t tell me nothing for the billionth time. I know something did.”
We made out. “Adalyn, I’ve told you nothing happened. The reason why I don’t want to sit through his graduation is because it’s going to be hard enough to sit through ours. I also don’t want to go to Nero’s party because I don’t even know him or anyone else who is going to be there, for that matter. Since when have I even gone to a party?”
“I’ll be there, and that’s exactly why we have to go. We haven’t been to one party, and this is our last chance to go to one together.” Adalyn made a pouting face.
Ugh! “I’ll think about it.” She watched Adalyn smile at her before she began to stare at the clock again.
Her friend had started to make her feel guilty as soon as Lake had received her acceptance letter to the university two hours away. Sure, there was the one in Kansas City, but she had made up her mind long before that she wasn’t going there. Picking the next closest university kept everyone happy and, most importantly, her happy.
Being only two hours away would give her the chance to visit her mother while not having to stay at John’s house ever again. Then there were the added bonuses of being able to see her father and Adalyn whenever she pleased. Oh, and being far enough away from the mob.
But Adalyn was trying to force her into going to Vincent’s graduation. She was certain it was going to be an absolute nightmare since graduations lasted a million years and were completely boring. She pretended the fact that she hadn’t seen Vincent since she had gotten out of his car didn’t play a role into why she didn’t want to see him walk or go to Nero’s party. Lake knew, without a doubt, Vincent was going to be there, and the last place she wanted to see him was at a party.
She had been successful in pretending Vincent was dead, choosing to only remember him up until the day he had kissed her. Truthfully, Lake was scared of seeing him again, and she planned to avoid what it felt like to be in his presence forever. Okay, now quit thinking about him already.
Lake drew her attention back up to the clock, not able to believe it was real. Any second, she should hear…
Tinng.
That was it, the victory bell she had been waiting for. She had imagined the sound to be way better than that. But who cares!
“So, Lake, how does it feel to officially be a high school graduate?” Adalyn asked, getting up from her desk.
Smiling, Lake stood up. “Pretty damn good.”
Lake was determined it was going to be a new beginning and a happily ever after from there on out.