When I quietly crept into my apartment, I saw it was dark and heard nothing. I silently made my way to the kid\'s room before kissing each of them on the forehead. As I got to the door, I stopped and just watched them for a moment. I felt relief for a moment as I knew this was for them. I then made my way to my room to see Chase asleep on the bed on top of the sheets.

I sighed before going over and taking a blanket from the closet and covering him with it.

I went to the bathroom and showered, making sure to mind where to touch without pain. I got out and slowly dried off. I snuck to the dresser and slid on undėrwėȧr but paused when Chase shifted slightly. I waited until he began quietly snoring before I finished dressing.

I slowly made my way to the bed and slid in beside Chase. He automatically latched onto me and I sighed before embracing him also. I watched his sleeping face that laid on my ċhėst. He reminds me so much of myself at his age. But I only had Mitchell. He has freedom to do what he wants and know he is free to come and go with a safe haven here. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.

I woke up to an alarm and ġrȯȧnėd. I covered my head with a pillow and threw the alarm across the room. "Shut up," I ġrȯȧnėd as I went back to sleep. I didn\'t wake until I felt something on my hand, "Leave me alone Hunter, Jesus!"

"Mamma, who\'s Hunter?"I shot up on the bed and looked to Ashley who staring at me.

"Hunter?" I turned and looked to Archer, who stood at the end of the bed and watched me. I felt the blood draining from my face.

"Who\'s Hunter?" I turned to Chase and fought back tears. I hopped up off the bed and went out of the room.

"Sorry, I had a dream about the scary part in Bambi," I called as I went into the kitchen. My eyes were finally filling with tears but when I heard the twins giggling with Chase, I controlled them.

They only have me. He has a family. I put bread in the toaster and turned on the coffee. I heard all three kids in my room still so I rushed to get out the hidden bottle of vodka.

I had no time to get out a glass so I just took a swig. I rushed to put it away but the tears began down my face. I did this with those men so long ago. I pulled out the toast and put it at the table before heading out to the porch. I began smoking and pulled out my phone. It took a moment for an answer my call.

"Nick?"

"Hey, boss. Sorry to wake you."

"Is everything alright?"

I sighed, "not exactly." I looked to my feet, "I\'m gonna have to take a few days off."

"Are you sick or something?"

I sighed again, "Mr. Parker went a little crazy last night. I don\'t want to scare the customers with damaged merchandise."

"But you\'re supposed to meet with Elijah Reed! You can\'t miss out on this opportunity!"

"You want him to see me like this?" I leaned on the railing, "it\'s really bad, boss. I\'ve got rope burns all over. Its bruising and looks like hell."

She ġrȯȧnėd, "alright. I\'ll call him and let him know."

"Thanks. Sorry again." I went back inside and saw the three kids waiting, ready, at the door. I slipped on my shoes but kept my cigarette in my mouth. I made sure to bring my pack and lighter. I trudged behind them and ignored their glances back. I waved to a neighbor as we passed her house.

"Nick! The mailman gave me some of your stuff by accident! One looked really important. Let me get them!" She ran back into the house and returned with a few letters and a manilla envelope. Thank God it came early. Now I can make rent.

"Thanks!" I called as we continued on our way.

"Are you coming back on time tonight?"

I looked to Chase, "not sure yet. I asked for a few days off but a really important customer is supposed to come in today. Why?"

Chase blushed slightly as he looked toward the twins as they held each other\'s hands while talking about school. "I thought I could make you dinner."

I chuckled before ruffling his hair. "I\'ve told you, kid, if you want to make me happy, worry about school. Don\'t worry about the rest. Focus on your studies and your future." I smirked before tossing my cigarette buŧŧ. "Don\'t end up like me."

He grabbed my hand before I could get out another cigarette, "I want to be someone you can rely on!"

"You\'re a kid, Chase. Don\'t rush to grow up. Enjoy your youth. Don\'t make the same mistakes I did."

"You\'re the only person I care about, Nick. Other than your kids, that is. I want to be your support and help you."

I sighed, "How about Friday?"

Chase\'s eyes glistened, "don\'t back out!" We stopped at the school and watched the twins go inside.

Chase grabbed my hand and dragged me further down the sidewalk. He stopped under a big tree and embraced me. He looked to me longingly before looking down to my lips. He yanked me into him and kissed me sloppily. He licked my lips to try to encourage me to open them, but I pushed him off me.

"You need to get going. Don\'t be late."

"Yeah?"

"Hey, so I looked up that guy you asked about."

"And? Shady? Player?"

She sighed, "he\'s actually really clean. He doesn\'t have much of a life other than work. He\'s super elite and loaded."

I grumbled, "then what the fuċk does he want with me?"

"No idea. Sorry I couldn\'t help."

"Its okay, later." I hung up and went back up to my apartment. I went to sleep and didn\'t stir until my phone rang. "What?" I hissed.

"Someone\'s crabby," Boss chuckled, "so Elijah Reed wants to still meet with you tonight. He\'s now offering to pay an month\'s salery."

I ġrȯȧnėd, "I\'m fuċkėd to hell and he wants to pay for an entire month?! Is he stupid?!"

"He said he hasn\'t been able to forget about you for two years and wanted to spend time with you."

"Alright. Where should I meet him?"

"He wants to come pick you up."

"I live in a shit hole."

"He said he didn\'t care."

"What a freak." I mumbled, "okay. But after tonight I need off until Sunday."

"Got it."

I hung up the phone and I ġrȯȧnėd. What is wrong with this guy? Do I look like an old fling or something? I ignored my thoughts and got ready. I put on a more casual suit and sat down to wait for his call. The boss gave him my number, which will probably backfire. I got impatient and went down to the sidewalk. I crouched down and began smoking as I closed my eyes.

"Momma!"

I looked up to see the kids right before they tackled me to the ground. I fell on my back as they cuddled into me while laughing. I looked up to Dena who was fighting back a laugh.

I rustled both of their heads of deep brown hair before kissing their foreheads, "you little monsters."

"Are you staying home?"

I gave Archer a sad smile, "no but I got off a few days. So starting tomorrow afternoon, I\'m all yours."

My phone rang so I quickly pulled it out of my pocket, "hello?"

"I don\'t mean to interrupt, but I am here."

"Oh, Elijah, yeah. Just a sec." I hung up before grabbing a kid with each arm. I growled playfully before picking them up and swinging them around. They began giggling as I set them down. They both clasped onto either one of my legs before letting me go. "You two be good for Dena, alright?" They nodded before I kissed the tops of their heads.

I looked over to see a really nice car just a ways out of view. I walked over and smiled as Elijah rolled down his window.

"Hop in." I nodded before going around and sitting in the passenger\'s seat. He began driving as I felt him watching me.

"Thanks for requesting for me and for picking me up." He nodded and I waited in silence before thinking of a way to break the quiet. "How long has it been?"

He smiled slightly, "about two years."

"I\'m surprised you even remember me," I admitted as I looked to my ŀȧp, "honestly, I\'m kind of confused with all of this."

He chuckled slightly, "I just kept thinking of you when I found out I was moving back here." He paused slightly, "I have never met someone who made me so at ease so quickly."

"I\'m really a nobody."

"You may think that, but it\'s far from the truth. You are special."

I sighed slightly, "so what do you want to do? You have me all night."

"I was hoping you\'d have dinner with me."

I looked to him before laughing slightly, "I have never been asked to dinner by a customer before. I\'m a bit embarrassed."

He laughed slightly back, "it makes me happy to claim one of your firsts." I blushed slightly as I looked out the window. "So are those your kids? They\'re adorable."

I couldn\'t hid my smile, "yeah."

"If you don\'t mind me asking," I looked to him curiously, "do you live with their father?"

I chuckled slightly, "definitely not. He doesn\'t even know about them. I\'d never let him touch them."

"So you have been a single parent this whole time?"

I nodded, "but they are easy to take care of. Sometimes they seem like the ȧduŀts, not me."

He stopped at a light and looked over to me.

His eyes were filled with kindness, hope, and arousal. What is wrong with this guy? "I\'m sure you are a great parent."

I paused as I looked to him before looking back away, "so you talked to my boss?" He nodded but focused on the road without looking to me. "And you still want to go through with this?"

"I do have to admit, I was surprised to get her call. I was even more surprised that you put so much thoughts into my opinion. Most host would not inform me beforehand."

I sighed, "there\'s no way I could hide it and, with the amount the boss said you wanted to pay, I felt that would not be fair. I was sure once you found out, you would pick someone else to escort you tonight."

He smiled slightly again but look to me through a side glance. "I came all this way just to see you again. You can\'t scare me off so easily."

"But what are your real motives?" I insisted and then gasped. "I\'m sorry I did not mean that."

"No, you did. I had a suspicion that you would be concerned. But I had no other way of expressing my interests. As I said before, I happened to meet you right before I moved 2 years ago. In that entire time I have not been able to forget you."

"Mr. Reed," I began in a sigh but stopped as he shook his head.

"Please call me a Elijah."

I looked to him again. What a weird guy. But you can\'t fool me. My gut is never wrong.

"Elijah, there are a lot of people that fall for my looks but you must understand that my personality is not anything like my face. I don\'t want to be rude, but I also want to be transparent. I am honestly not comfortable with the amount of money you want to give me. In this line of work, I have bȧrėly any pride left as a man. And accepting that kind of money takes the rest of my pride away." I look to the window as I took a hard gulp. "I\'m not sure if you remember, but I am impotent. I can\'t give you the satisfaction that others can. I am not worth money like you are willing to give. I would feel much more comfortable if you would just allow me to join you for a meal and take that as payment."

Elijah looked to me again but quickly looked back to the road. "That is partly why I can\'t get you out of my mind. You\'re honest and truthful and it gives me a pŀėȧsurė of challenge."

Great. Now he\'s mocking me with some sick interest he has. "Stop the car." I hissed and he looked to me with confusion. I met him with a glare that seemed to surprise him.

"What\'s wrong?" He asked as he stopped the car but did not unlock the door.

After thinking of Hunter today, my emotions were overwhelming.. Tears came to my eyes as I looked at him in pure rage. "You can\'t imagine how difficult it is to go through life like this! I was forced to be this way by a selfish Alpha and cannot ever recover!"