Christy was exhausted by the time she got home. Her feet ached, her shoulders were stiff, and all she wanted was to collapse into bed.
But as soon as she stepped into the tiny apartment she shared with her mother and younger sister, the familiar sound of coughing from the other room made her freeze.
Her heart clenched.
Mom.
She quickly set her bag down and hurried into her mother's bedroom. The dim lighting cast shadows over the worn-out furniture, and on the bed, her mother lay with a frail hand pressed to her chest, trying to suppress another round of coughs.
She looks even weaker today.
"Mom, are you okay?" Christy asked, rushing to her side.
Her mother forced a small smile. "I'm fine, dear. Just a little tired."
Christy wasn't convinced. She reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and handed it to her. "Did you take your medication?"
"I did," her mother assured her, though her voice was thinner than usual. "Don't worry about me. You've had a long day, how was work?"
Christy hesitated, not wanting to burden her with unnecessary stress. "It was fine," she said simply. "Same as always."
"She ran into Nathan Carter today," Grace's voice chimed in from the doorway.
Christy shot her sister a warning look, but it was too late.
Her mother's eyes widened slightly. "Nathan Carter? The boy you always complained about in high school?"
Christy sighed, already regretting this conversation. "It's nothing, Mom. We were just classmates. And I only saw him by chance."
Grace, grinning, plopped onto the edge of the bed. "Oh, come on. He came to her workplace just to mess with her. And get this, he even left a huge tip. I think he likes her."
Christy groaned. "He does not like me, Grace."
Her mother chuckled softly. "Well, if he's anything like how you described him back then, I can't imagine you two getting along now."
"You're absolutely right," Christy muttered.
Grace leaned forward conspiratorially. "But what if he's changed? What if…"
"Grace," Christy interrupted, rubbing her temples. "I'm not interested. He's still as arrogant and annoying as ever."
Her mother patted her hand. "Alright, alright. I won't press you about it. Just… don't let your dislike for someone cloud your judgment too much."
Christy sighed. "I just want to focus on work, Mom. Speaking of which, rent is due soon, and we still need to…"
Her mother held up a hand. "I don't want you worrying about that right now. You already do too much for this family."
"But Mom…"
"I mean it, Christy." Her mother smiled gently. "You're still young. You should enjoy your life a little, too."
Christy didn't argue. There was no point. Enjoying life wasn't an option, not when there were bills to pay, responsibilities to handle, and a future to secure.
She just hoped that whatever fate had in store for her next… wouldn't be as frustrating as Nathan Carter.
Later That Night…
After checking on her mother one last time, Christy finally made it to her own room. She threw herself onto the bed with a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment.
Just as she was about to doze off, her phone vibrated beside her.
She groggily reached for it, squinting at the screen.
Jeff: Hey babe. Long time no talk.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Jeff.
Her chest tightened at the sight of his name. It had been weeks since she last heard from him.
Not that she was waiting for his messages, on the contrary, she had been hoping he'd finally take the hint that things between them weren't working.
Her thumb hovered over the screen before she sighed and opened the message.
Jeff: Miss you, baby. I know I've been ghostly lately, things have been crazy. Let's meet up?
Christy's stomach twisted.
Crazy? He always said that. Crazy meant he was out partying. Crazy meant he spent all his money again. Crazy meant he was about to ask her for something.
Before she could even process a reply, another message popped up.
Jeff: I need some cash, babe. Just a little loan. You know I'll pay you back.
Her jaw clenched. There it was.
She should have expected this.
Christy: I don't have anything to give you, Jeff.
It took him less than ten seconds to reply.
Jeff: Come on, baby. I know you got paid today.
Her pulse quickened with irritation.
Christy: And I have bills to pay. I can't keep bailing you out, Jeff.
Silence. Then:
Jeff: Wow. So that's how it is? After everything I've done for you?
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Everything he's done for me? What a joke. He had done nothing but take, take, take.
She wanted to type out a response. Tell him off. Let him know she was done for good.
But she was tired.
Tired of the cycle. Tired of him.
With a deep breath, she turned off her phone and tossed it onto the nightstand. She wouldn't waste another second on Jeff.
This time, she really meant it.
The Next Day at the Library…
Christy arrived at the university library earlier than planned, determined to get some work done before Nathan even showed up.
If she could just outline their project before he arrived, maybe, just maybe, she could control how much time she actually had to spend dealing with him.
She settled at a quiet table near the window, pulled out her laptop, and started typing. She was barely ten minutes in when a coffee cup slid into view beside her.
"Thought you might need this, partner."
Christy jumped slightly, startled. She looked up to find Nathan Carter standing across from her, a lazy grin on his face.
He was holding two cups of coffee.
She eyed him suspiciously. "What's this?"
Nathan set one cup in front of her and took a seat. "Coffee. You looked half-dead yesterday, and I figured you could use the caffeine."
Christy hesitated, staring at the cup. "What did you do to it?"
Nathan scoffed. "Seriously? What do you think I am, a spiker?"
"I wouldn't put it past you."
He rolled his eyes. "Relax. I didn't put anything in it. It's just coffee. Black. No sugar. Just how you like it."
Her breath hitched slightly.
"How do you know how I take my coffee?"
Nathan smirked. "I pay attention."
That answer unsettled her, but before she could dwell on it, he leaned back in his chair.
"So, what do we have so far?"
Christy cleared her throat, refocusing.
Whatever weird game Nathan was playing, she wasn't going to fall for it.
But as she took a sip of the coffee he had bought for her, she had to admit, he did have good taste.