My Dark Prince

Chapter Six

I told them I would go home; I didn’t say I’d stay there. There was no way in hell I’d be able to stay there another second more than I absolutely had to. Not after tonight. Not after losing both of my parents. I just don’t think I could handle it. I would surely snap.

Jason had said I could stay at his house, but I didn’t want to impose on him and Natalie. Not only that, but I also just couldn’t see myself sleeping on their couch for a few months. I doubt Jason would give up his home gym. And Natalie had a room she worked out of. Her very own, in-house salon. The room was cute and stylish. With its own sink and two salon drying chairs, hell, she even had a set of nail salon counters for those who wanted their nails done. That was a lot of furniture to move either way you looked at it. So, of course, I’d have no choice but to sleep on the couch.

Thanks, but no thanks.

The only other option I came up with was to go to mom and dad's like I had originally hoped to do. No one would care. Except Jason. Oh well, he knew how to pick up a phone. There was more than enough space. It had spare bedrooms; mom and dad hardly ever used them. I wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch. Which was a good thing. There’s also the fact that I could grieve in peace. No backstabbing roommate and ex-boyfriend to deal with would be a major plus.

I’ve made my mind up. I would go home. Home. Home to mom and dad’s. The only place that felt like home. Not that Jason didn’t make me feel at home, it just wasn’t the same. And hell would freeze, before I called that hole in the wall apartment complex, home.

It’s settled, I was going home. But first I had some business to handle.

Pulling into the parking garage of the apartment building, I searched for Tiffany's metallic blue Kia. With no Kia in sight, I smile to myself. They must’ve met up somewhere tonight. Two-faced pieces of shits.

Pulling around to a clear parking spot next to the elevator, my night just keeps getting better. Elevator access is going to make the next hour or two very convenient.

Throwing the Chevy in to park, I lean back as I turn it off. Rubbing my face, I prepare myself for the task at hand. Moving my necessities from my room to the car.

The apartment was a short ride up the elevator and down the hall. Before I get the door open, I can hear Siree’s claws tapping on the hardwood. Somehow, she always knew when it was me at the door.

A few long strides down the hall, and I was standing in the doorway of my room. What exactly should I qualify as a necessity? Siree, of course. Laptop, yes. Clothes, at least a couple of weeks’ worth. Okay, that narrows that down. I grabbed my tickled-pink Victoria’s Secret duffle bag from the closet and went to town. Throwing anything and everything that would fit inside, causing the zipper to not zip. Clothes, check. I turn on my heels away from the closet, snatching up my laptop bag to throw it on the bed. My hands shake as I unplug the laptop from the charger. Carefully, I place it into the appropriate compartment. I latch the Velcro snugly around it, then remove the charger from the wall outlet. My mind kept drifting to mom. Had she finished her last book? I wonder how long it will take for the publisher to catch wind that she had passed? That they had passed. Together.

I blink, trying not to think about it. About them. My eyes started to water, stinging my tired eyes. I just want this night to be over. I rub the balls of my palms into my eyes, to wipe away the tears that I desperately held back. Not here. It’s not safe. Those back-stabbing-good-for-nothing-cockroaches would eventually be back. And I don’t want to be here when they do. And I damn sure didn’t want them to find me like this. I take a deep breath and finish putting my laptop in its case, as if nothing had happened. Laptop, check.

I started looking around for anything else I might need. You could almost hear the light bulb going off in my head. I need my medication. Simple. Grab the small storage tote from under my bed. Medicine, check. What else? Looking around the room, the only thing else I can think of is my bedset. Sure, I should have a bedset or two at mom and dad's but just to be on the safe side, I’ll take it and my pillows too.

I turn back to the closet to search for the clear zip-up tote it came in. It’s always seemed like a good idea to me, so I kept them. Grinning to myself, I pull it from out the top of the closet. Bingo! Turning back to the bed, I trip over Siree, who had moved to be underneath my feet. I’m barely able to keep my balance before crashing onto the bed.

At this point, I don’t even have the energy to be mad at her. She knows something isn’t right. I don’t normally go on a rampage throwing clothes from dresser drawers and closet hangers into a duffle bag that just didn’t seem big enough. That’s not something normal people do every day. Right?

I roll on to my back, trying to focus on what to do next. I get up from the bed with a huff. Out the corner of my eye, I spot a notebook and pen from where I had been working on writing back to so fan mail. And a sinister thought runs through my mind.

Whose name is this apartment in? Mine. Who has paid extra rent so we never fall behind? Me. So why should I let her just have the apartment? My name is on the lease. Mine. Not hers, mine. I snatch up the notebook and pen as I started writing a hurried letter to the owner of the apartment complex explaining why I would be discontinuing my lease. I know there’s a fee for that, but I’m almost certain I have paid more than enough to cover that. I smile as I finish signing the letter and open the bedside drawer to look for a blank envelope. I really would love to see the look on her face when the eviction notice comes in, but oh well, knowing will be just as good, I guess.

Standing to seal the envelope, and tucking it into my back pocket, I turn back to the bed. I pull back my comforter to begin folding it up to fit in the clear tote. Then the flat sheet and finally the fitted sheet. I zip the tote up and place it next to my computer bag and my bright pink duffle bag. I grab my pillow and set it on top of the over-stuffed bag, adding to the pile of things to tote down to the car.

Judging by the size of this pile, I estimate I am going to have to make two trips to the Chevy. Good thing my vehicle stays remotely clean. I have nothing in the back, and all of this can just as easily go in the back seat. Tapping my fingers on my thigh, is there anything else I possibly need?