Running away was proving to be difficult since I didn’t have anywhere to go.

I wandered around town aimlessly, pissed off with myself for not taking my phone or anything else when I left. Not that I had any money to speak off.

I ended up at the library, the only place I felt safe enough in. I hid between the bookshelves and picked out some of my favorite classics.

The Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Rebecca.

Enough to distract me for a few hours.

I curled up on an uncomfortable chair in the emptiest part of the library, pulled my legs up and ignored people’s stares as I opened Rebecca and started reading. It only took me a few moments to fall into the world I’d found solace in so many times before, and I accepted the distraction gratefully.

Daphne du Maurier’s words pulled me in and I forgot about my surroundings for a blissful hour, until my stomach reminded me it was time to eat.

When I looked up from my book, I realized I wasn’t alone. And when I saw who was standing in front of me, blinding rage ripped through my body.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“Long enough to see you’re not going anywhere.” She gave me a playful smile, and I wanted to smack it off her once-again-pretty face.

I got up and stacked my books, trying to get past her, but she grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let go.

“I’m here to help,” she said.

“Like fuck you are,” I sneered. “Get your filthy hands off me.”

“You’re jealous for no reason,” she told me. “It’s been a long time since… since I was King’s pet.”

I nearly spat in her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I snapped. “I guess you’re his Angel now.”

“You don’t know anything,” she said.

“I know enough. Let the fuck go!”

Someone shushed us and gave us a mean look. Angel just rolled her eyes and half-dragged me out of the library. She took my books and placed them on a random shelf and I seethed with anger, not wanting to make a scene. We left the library and she didn’t stop dragging me along until we were in the street. Then, I finally ripped my arm out of her grip and glared at her.

“You’re literally the last person I want to see,” I told her.

“I know.” She gave me an apologetic smile. “But I’m here to help. Even if you don’t understand, Sapphire.”

It felt odd hearing my name from her lips. The lips that had been begging for King’s cock the last time I heard her talk.

“My only purpose in your relationship is to help,” she said. “I know you don’t get it, but trust me. I’m not here to steal your man.”

“As if you could,” I rolled my eyes, but my bravado was false.

She really was beautiful, and so much sexier than me. Even I could tell that. Fuck, a lamppost could tell.

“You need to go back home to him,” she said, and I shook my head.

“I can’t deal with it right now,” I said. “And I don’t like you meddling.”

“He sent me,” she protested.

“Fucking great,” I muttered. “Got someone else to do his bidding, once again. What, am I not worthy of him getting me back by himself?”

“You’re one angry girl,” Angel laughed.

She looked at me with a bemused expression, then extended a hand. I stared at her with contempt.

“My name is Maria,” she said. “I thought you should know, since I know yours.”

I glared at her as she pulled my hand towards her and shook it. Her laughter was melodic, and she linked her arm with mine.

“Come on,” she smiled. “I’m buying you a drink, and then we can get you home.”

I had the feeling I wouldn’t get anywhere if I objected.

* * *

She took me to a cafe. Not even a fucking bar.

I kept glaring at her as we ordered our drinks, two Cokes with ice and lemon.

“I don’t like you,” I told her.

“Yeah?” she licked her straw. “I think you’re a fucking peach.”

“King thinks so,” I grinned.

“He has awful taste.” She sucked her drink through the straw. “Ever since he dumped me.”

Knowing that he’d dumped her gave my heart palpitations. Good. Bitch fucking deserved it.

“I think we could really be friends, you know,” she said and I burst out laughing. After a moment, she joined in, and we giggled for what felt like ages.

“You’re not going to touch him again?” I asked her.

“I do what he tells me to,” she said. “And what we did was for your own good.”

“Sure.” Another eye-roll. “You don’t have feelings for him anymore?”

She toyed with her straw and I wanted to stab her in one of her pretty brown eyes.

Kind of.

Not really.

“Why did you agree to come get me?” I asked.

“He asked me to,” she shrugged.

“That wasn’t my question.”

She let go of her glass and glared at me.

“When King asks you to do something,” she said. “You say yes.”

Well, she had a point there.

“I’d really prefer it if you stayed out of my life,” I said, and she gave me a long look.

“I think you could use a friend,” she said.

“Yeah? And you think you’d fill that role well?”

“I’m saying it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. I know all of this is new to you, I’m just trying to help. So, if you let me…” She reached for my hand and laid her palm on top of it gently. It felt all kinds of weird. “I think we’d make a great team.”

“I’ll think about it,” I muttered.

There was something about her that I liked, now that I saw her as Maria, not Angel. She seemed almost… sweet. Caring. Of course, my judgement wasn’t always spot-on with these things.

“Let’s take you home,” she suggested, and I shook my head.

“A little while longer.” My voice was soft and shaky, so she just nodded and ordered us another round of Cokes.

Somehow, she managed to involve me in a conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with King.

We talked about anything and everything from our favorite movies to the best skincare brands we liked to use. And finally, we touched on the subject of school, and it made me curious.

“You’re a student?” I asked her, and she shook her head.

“I finished two years ago,” she said.

“What’s your degree in?”

“Drama,” she grinned. “I’ve always wanted to be an actress.”

I looked her over. On second thoughts, she might have what it takes. There was something about her – she was beautiful, yes, but a bit unusual with that wild hair. Her skin was a sharp contrast to her dark hair and eyes, pale and almost creamy. She really was beautiful, but there was more to it than that. Almost like a charisma, something I would never have. I assumed that’s what attracted King to her in the first place.

“I can see you as an actress,” I told her, and she beamed. “Have you done much work?”

“A few ads,” she said. “And I have a spot on a TV soap opera.”

“Which one?” I asked. My mom used to be obsessed with them. I bet she would’ve freaked if I told her I met an actress from one of her favorite shows.

I tried not to think about the fact that we weren’t even really talking at that point.

“Pembroke Pines,” she said, and I giggled.

“That’s like, the cheesiest one of them all.”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “It’s a solid show!”

“I’ll bet,” I teased her. “So, what’s your role?”

She looked at me with a wicked sparkle in her eyes, then leaned over and told me over our drinks, her voice hushed.

“I play Debra McMillan’s long lost daughter,” she told me, and I nodded. Debra was one of the older members of the show. She must’ve been on TV for decades. “I come back to her in her dreams and then she starts seeing me in real life, too.”

“Exciting,” I raised my eyebrows bemusedly.

“BUT!” Maria grinned. “What she doesn’t know… is that I’m a ghost!”

I gasped and faked a fainting, and we both giggled.

“I’m really excited about it,” she said. “They’re talking about giving me a permanent spot on the show as well.”

“Yeah?” I gave her a doubtful look. “They’re giving a ghost a permanent spot on the show?”

She laughed. “Stranger things have happened.”

“True,” I nodded.

Like this friendship.

“Hey,” I said in a small voice, toying with the lemon slice in my empty glass with the straw. I couldn’t really look at Maria, but I could feel her eyes on me. She probably knew what I was going to say before I even opened my mouth. “I kind of want to go home now.”

I thought she’d make a big deal out of it, with ‘I told you so’ and meaningful looks, but she merely nodded, took her wallet out of her bag and pulled out some money. She left it on the table, winked at the bartender who’d been in awe of her since we’d walked in, and offered me a hand to help me up.

I stared at her for a second. This gorgeous, selfless Amazon that was willing to help me, even though I was with the man she presumably still had feelings for. What a strange creature.

I took her hand and got up. She linked her arm with mine and we walked out of that bar, feeling everyone’s eyes on us as we sauntered through the door.