His Dancer, His Chains novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: Nothing in the Way

Pippa pressed play and held the phone out between us.

"Hi, Pippa! It's Nicolette, from the tulips."

The voice was so warm that for a second I wanted to answer it.

"I hope you're resting. Would you give your sister a message for me?"

"Tell her the fund reviews every gift on the first of the quarter, and yours is on my desk."

"If she is still married to Rafferty by next Friday, the review goes badly. Your bill comes due, and some pictures of her go to every newsroom in the city."

"If she's gone by then, nothing happens, and you keep your heart. Kisses!"

The message ended.

Pippa put the phone down on the cushion and stared at it.

"What pictures?" she said.

I had told Pippa a hundred lies in a hundred small ways since she was nine.

I had told her we were fine, and that I wasn't tired, and that the rent was handled.

I sat down on the coffee table in front of her and told her the truth.

I told her everything in order, and I did not soften any of it.

Rafferty stood by the window and did not interrupt.

Pippa's face went white and then red.

"You took your clothes off," she said, "for me."

"Yes."

"And you let me go on thinking the money came from the hospital's kind heart."

"Yes."

"I made a joke about it last week. I said you dance enough for both of them."

"You didn't know."

"I should have known!" She was crying and furious. "You've been carrying me since I was nine, and you never once let me carry anything."

"Pip."

"Don't Pip me."

She wiped her face with her sleeve.

Then she stood up in her pajamas with her scar still pink under the neckline, and she looked at Rafferty.

"Does she have a plan?"

"Not yet," he said.

← Chapter 13 · All chapters · Chapter 15 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend