The one fortunate thing to come from this whole series of events is the fact that I can now afford to pay off a small chunk of my mother’s hospital bills. It’s certainly not enough to pay the entire amount, which rings in at well over one hundred grand, but it’s enough to make a sizeable impact. It’ll keep the debt collectors off of our step for a while and that’s my main concern. I can even pretend not to be bothered by the memory of Caleb’s broken face; I can carry the facade that I’m not wounded by the fact that I had to put a stop to things.

My new cocktail waitressing job will bring in a fair amount of tips, at least as far as one can hope. It’s incomparable to my other job, but that’s pretty much a given at this point. Nothing could compare to what I shared with Caleb. I can’t even imagine another relationship being more fulfilling, even what people would consider a real relationship. If I’m being honest with myself, I feel like something of a monster for how cold I have ended things with the man I’ve come to adore. For a moment, I could fool myself into thinking he was as genuinely affected by our relationship as I was.

There’s no way a man like him could change him mind in the matter of a mere week, however. The mere thought is laughable. It’s audacious to even consider that I hold some sort of animal magnetism that men are unable to resist. Even if I may be considered a catch for the general population, Caleb Robertson is anything but ‘general’. Just as well, it’s not going to do me any good to spend the rest of my life pining for what could have been. I’d put my foot down and now there’s no turning back. As if to remove any remnants of the man from my life, I find myself taking the remainder of his payments to the business office of the hospital. They’ll be rather surprised to see me in person, especially considering how I’ve been avoiding their calls and ignoring their messages as of late. My mailbox has been stacked to the top with late notices for the bills, threatening to send us to a debt collections office. I can’t afford for my credit to drop any lower than it already has, though it seems like a losing race at this point.

Stepping into the front entrance of the hospital, I ignore the cheerful greeters as I shuffle in the direction of the main business office. As I step inside, I spot the vaguely familiar face of the clerk I’ve spent the most time working with. I offer her a little wave and though I expect her to turn angry eyes upon me, she looks all too delighted to see me. She also seems a bit confused, which I don’t suppose I can blame her for at this point. Walking towards her, she looks entirely startled as I pull a wad of the cash out of my pocket.

“I’m here to pay some of my mother’s bills, Janice,” I say blandly and she tilts her head in confusion. Surely it can’t be that much of a surprise that I’d actually pay the damn things. How many people just accept their descent into unspeakable debt at this place?

“Uhm, Ms. Stroud…? Your mother’s bills have already been paid,” she replied softly. I raise a brow, searching my mind for the last month I actually came here.

“Well, it’s been a few months. I figured I was due by now,” I argue, only for her to shake her head. Her confusion shifts to understanding as she begins to search through the files on her desktop and she offers me a broad smile.

“Oh! You haven’t been informed. How nice that I’ll be the one to tell you! An anonymous donor has paid off the entirety of your mother’s debt. You won’t have to make any additional payments to us. You’re free, as it were,” she grins. My breath catches in my throat and while my initial reaction is to be thrilled, there’s no question of who has paid this grand sum of money. Over one hundred thousand dollars couldn’t have been easy to let go of for anyone, unless of course, they had hundreds of thousands more in the bank. Gritting my teeth, I turn my back on Janice and stalk out of the office. I note that she seems startled by my action, but she couldn’t begin to understand my anger. Not that I would explain the situation to her, in any case.

I’m tempted to call the man and give him a piece of my mind, but I’m so angry that I can’t even begin to fathom properly expressing myself through voice alone. I’m ready to punch the son of a bitch in the face, if it comes to it. It may seem strange that I’m so bothered by his generous donation, but in my mind it only means one thing. Our entire relationship is founded on money and he spent an unfathomable amount on my behalf. It equates, essentially, to him owning me. It wouldn’t be such a dreadful thought if I didn’t know he would invariably pull the plug on our relationship. If it could be defined as a relationship, anyway.

The drive to his house is shorter than usual, which isn’t surprising considering I’m going around thirty over the speed limit. When I squeal into the parking complex, I’m sure I’ve drawn the attention of my fair share of people. It’s the last thing on my mind as I lurch out of my car, storming in the direction of Caleb’s private elevator. Pounding in the numbers, I tap my foot as the doors slide open, allowing me to step inside. A thousand thoughts race through my mind as the elevator rises towards the top of the building, They mainly consist of foul names I can call the eccentric billionaire for putting me through so much torment. Just when I think I will finally be free from his grasp, he finds a way to drag me back in.

He managed to take any remnant or idea of a choice away from the situation. I’ve been driven to the brink of insanity by the idea of being his and his alone, but only on a timeline. If he wants this to come to a fallout, I’m more than happy to oblige him at this point. I’ve been pushed too hard, too far.

When the elevator door opens, Caleb is situated on the sofa, watching the door almost expectantly. He considers me with a warm smile and I bare my teeth in a snarl as I lurch across the room towards him. His general sense of contentedness seems to evaporate as he sees how furious I am, but he doesn’t look apologetic. He just seems confused.

“What the fuck do you think you’re getting at, Caleb?” I demand, looming over his seated form. He stares up at me with pursed lips, looking altogether unthreatened by my stance. I realize I couldn’t take him in an actual fight, at least under normal circumstances. However, at this point, it’s a chance I’m willing to take. I draw my hand back, pushing it forward with as much force as I can muster, slapping him across the face. His face jerks from the force of impact and when I expect him to get angry, he has the audacity to smirk.

“I take it that my donation is not well received. Mind telling me what’s bothering you, like an actual adult?” he ripostes in a smarmy tone. I feel my eyes nearly bulge from my skull and I actively resist the desire to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze as tightly as I’m able.

“You and I both know why you paid my mother’s hospital bills, you sick son of a bitch. Our relationship has been founded on nothing but the exchange of money. How the fuck am I supposed to work off one hundred grand?” I begin. He looks as if he’s going to respond so I hurriedly continue, “The answer is: I can’t! There’s no feasible way for me to pay back that amount of money. The only thing I can come up with is the idea of you wanting to own me permanently and I know you’re not a man who goes for indefinite relationships.” I bite the words out quickly before he’s able to manage a response. Caleb frowns, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he looks me up and down. There’s an angry mark forming on his face where I’d slapped him, but he seems unaffected by the pain it may be causing.

“What makes you think I’m unable to commit to a permanent relationship? While paying your mother’s bills was not some ploy to purchase you indefinitely, I’ve come to terms with how I feel for you, Maggie. I want you forever. I want you to give yourself to me, to do with as I please. Not just now, but until the end of time,” he says passionately, seeming hurt by the implications I’ve made. I can’t help but laugh at him, tossing my head back and slapping my knee just to prove a point. He only seems further irritated, but I’m not here to make friends.

“You told me last week that you don’t want to settle down. You made it very clear that part of this whole thrill, for you, is buying a new woman when the mood suits you. I’m not willing to sit back and be some trophy for you while you’re off fucking other women. I’m not willing to deal with the uncertainty of this relationship at all! Why couldn’t you just leave well enough alone?” I demand, poking him angrily in the chest. He grabs me by the wrist as he lurches to his feet, pulling me close to him. I struggle against him, the typically soothing warmth that he radiates only serving to inflame me further. He tilts his head down, attempting to capture my lips in a kiss. I resist, pulling away from him with all the might I can muster.

“Why can’t you accept that I care about you? Is it so impossible to believe that I’ve changed? At the very least, that I’ve changed my mind on this one issue?” he hisses, tensing his hands at his sides. I take a step back, towards the elevator. Part of me wants to bolt, but another part of me knows that I can’t let this go unresolved. I need to deal with this, here and now.

“Men like you don’t change, Caleb. You want and you want, so you take. You never give. You’re never satisfied. You only want more,” I grit out. It was a lesson I had learned the hard way in previous relationships and I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. Caleb stares at me through wide eyes, hurt glistening in the gorgeous blue orbs I’ve come to love. A vibration in my pocket drags me away from his intense stare and I yank my phone out to see who is calling. Not recognizing the number, I roll my eyes and step away from Caleb to answer. He looks as if he might be angry that I’m casting him aside so easily, but I’m not in the mood to entertain him.

As I listen to the voice on the phone, my heart feels as if it shudders to a stop. I drop the phone, lurching towards the elevator with my breath coming out in sobs. Caleb grabs me by the arm, forcing me to look at him. Tears spill freely from my eyes and his anger turns to uncertainty.

“I can’t deal with this right now. My mom… my Mom’s in the hospital,” I choke out, trying to get away from him. Caleb’s expression grows steely and he releases me. However, as I move to escape, he follows me into the elevator.

“You’re in no shape to drive,” he mutters before I have the chance to ask. His expression is tense, but there’s also something akin to concern reflected back at me as I gaze into his eyes.

As much as I want to put up a fight, my Mom comes first. He’s right, of course; I’m not capable of driving safely right now. I could easily hail a cab, but as he drags me to his sports car and helps me in, I’m comforted to have his presence as shock begins to wash over me. I tremble in the passenger seat and as he screams out of the parking lot, he reaches out to grip my hand in his own. I choke out a sob, clinging tightly to his hand like a child who has lost their mother. The thought only brings another wave of tears.

We’re at the hospital in what feels like a blink of an eye, yet also an eternity in some strange paradoxical way. I lurch out of the car, rushing into the emergency room entrance with Caleb hot on my heels. I demand to see my mother and the nurse, who seems to assume that Caleb is my boyfriend or something of the sort, leads us into the depths of the emergency bay. She takes me to a room towards the back corner, where I immediately see my mother lying unconscious in a hospital cot. Rushing towards her, I erupt into tears as I’m stricken by the thought that she may never wake up. Caleb rests a hand on the small of my back, but I’m not particularly driven to push him away. Instead, I turn towards him, burying my face in his chest.

“W-what if she doesn’t make it?” I choke out, tears streaming down my cheeks and soaking his shirt.

“She will. She will, Maggie, I’m sure of it,” he assures me. We linger in the room a moment longer before a doctor steps in and advises us that my mother needs time to rest. As much as I ask him if she’ll be okay, the doctor refuses to give me a straightforward answer. I’m nearly ready to strike him when Caleb pulls me back towards his chest. “We can sit in the waiting room. When she awakens, we’ll be back in a flash,” he says gently, guiding me out of the hospital room.

As we sit waiting, I expect to be called in to see my mother at any given moment, but the doctor refuses to let me see her, even deep into the night.

“You can leave, now. I don’t expect you to stay with me,” I weakly inform Caleb. He shrugs his shoulders, relaxing in the chair beside me.

“I want to stay,” he says simply.

I don’t argue.

All we can do is wait.