Chapter 7

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Delilah

The last few days had been an absolute dream. Trevor and I ate breakfast together, he worked from 9 am to 5 pm at the garage, we ate dinner together, and then we hung out after dinner - watching a movie or him showing me around town. I'd already started piecing together my plan for the future, but every time I tried to bring it up, Trevor changed the subject. To make matters worse, every time I thought about leaving and not being around him it hurt my heart. But a girl's got to leave her savior's nest sometime, right?

Trevor kept talking about being together in the future, and I couldn't help but feel torn. My heart wanted to stay and give this man a chance, but my head told me I need to run away as fast as I could.

Today Trevor had off and he had been so sweet and thoughtful over the past few days that even my confused brain was coming around to the idea of staying. But I didn't want to be trapped and reliant on a man again, especially after what happened last time.

That morning at breakfast I'd floated the idea of going back to work. Trevor had shut that down really fast, refusing to even think about me going back to the Treasure Trove.

"You can't possibly want to go back there?" he asked in disbelief

"Well, no, not really. But that's the only decent-paying job I have experience for. I guess I could waitress again, but it's been a while." I said, "I just don't want you to feel responsible for me, or to resent me for being a freeloader when you're doing everything and I'm not pitching in."

He shook his head, "You don't have to work on my account. It'd be my honor to provide for you. I could never resent you - it's our money, not just mine. But if you want to find a job, I'd support that. And, for the record, you do plenty 'round here; you cooked breakfast this mornin' and I know you did some laundry and cleaning yesterday." He looked at me with a stern expression, "But you are NOT going back to work at the Treasure Trove."

I couldn't help feeling guilty at his selfless generosity, "But you've already done so much for me. I mean really, between the car and the phone I easily owe you $30,000 plus."

It was true, the Volvo XC40 alone was likely more than my estimate. I had insisted that it was too much, but he refused to hear anything about it. Then tack on the smartphone, the food I was eating, and my shopping spree and it was probably way more than that.

"Darlin'," he sighed and reached out to grab my hand, "You don't owe me anything. Just you being here with me is enough."

I was again struck by the differences between him and Craig. Craig would have had a list already made up of what I owed him and would have had me working off my debt on my back, but Trevor didn't seem to care if I spent everything he had as long as I was happy. If I hadn't already been falling for him, just a little, that right there would have done it.

"I want to get a job, I need something to do, especially if I'm going to continue staying here. I won't be a mooch. But dancing is what I know." I said circling back around to our original conversation

"Alright," he relented, "How about I make a call to a lady I know that might be able to help. But you are NOT stripping, got it? That's non-negotiable."

I nodded, easily able to agree with that. Later that day Trevor told me about a friend of his named Marla, she happened to own the local dance school and was looking for some experienced help. Initially, I was excited by the chance to get back into what I'd loved before I'd met Craig, but the more I thought about it the more I worried that she wouldn't want an ex-stripper on the payroll.

It weighed heavily on me. And that night I tossed and turned in bed, for the first time since arriving at Trevor's house, eventually falling into a fitful sleep:

"You always were a disobedient slut." Craig hissed at me, "What makes you think you can leave me? Go off and be a proper dance teacher?"

He lunged at me, knocking me sideways, and I whimpered in pain as I landed on the floor. I watched as he lit a cigarette, and prayed he wouldn't turn it on me.

"You will never be anything to anyone you skank!" he cried, lunging at me again

I tried to scramble away from him, but my limbs felt like lead.

I let out a terrified scream.

"Delilah! Baby, please wake up. You're scaring me." Trevor called out from somewhere far away

It felt as though my eyes immediately popped open and I bolted upright, tears springing from my eyes, my body trembling in terror - it's just a nightmare, it's not real. Trevor wrapped his arms around me and I burrowed into his bare chest, sobbing - it all felt so real. He gently stroked my back and whispered soothing things into my hair. I don't know how long I'd cried, but eventually, I felt groggy. Trevor helped me get settled against my pillow before placing a sweet kiss on my forehead and turning to leave.

I reached out and grabbed his forearm before he got too far. Even if this was a dream, I needed him. His eyes immediately snapped to mine.

"Say with me." I whispered, "Please."

"Always." I thought I heard him say

Moments later sleep overtook me, but I would have sworn that Trevor cuddled me to his chest. I sighed contentedly and felt that I was held tighter. Safe.


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