Fated (To Be Yours) by Anaya Phoenix (the best books to read TXT) 📕

looking down at her. Patient, waiting, loving.
“5 years ago I ran to Chicago. It was fun for a while, but I had to eat. So I became an exotic dancer. I made a lot of money; I managed to get a tiny apartment. I even got a television set. Everything was going fine until one day a pimp came into the strip joint. His name was Terrence Fawn.” Even the name left a nasty bitter taste in her mouth.
“Terrence Fawn owned the whole north side of Chicago. His girls were always on the street, every night. Winter, summer, spring, or fall. He gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. 25 grand a month just to dance for him and his chosen company.” She laughed a little humorless laugh at her stupidity. Men like Terrence Fawn didn’t just give you money to dance. They wanted a whole lot more.
“Everything went great the first month, I was eating a little better, I could get my hair done. I was happy. The second month came and Terrence quickly popped my bubble. He gave a ‘secret showing’ to a couple of his friends. They took me down stairs and told me to strip. That wasn’t my job that was the job of the hookers. I was just a dancer. They didn’t want to hear that. Terrence tied me down to an old bed he brought from somewhere and cut my upper thighs. He said ‘that’s what you get for disobeying me’. The cuts were never deep; he doesn’t like to mar his merchandise. They used me for sex for 3 years. I thought about offing myself a lot of times. But one girl, Candy, came to find me one day. She gave me a hundred thousand dollars. She and the rest of the girls saved it up. She said to me ‘you don’t look like you need to be here’ then she pushed me out. She gave me a choice to run again, she sacrificed herself. With that money I bought my bike, my clothes. With that money I lived again. Sure I still have scars, but I think of them as war scars. I got over a really bad thing, but I came out of it.” By the time she was done telling her story tears still ran down her face and landed on a puddle in his shirt. He still hadn’t said anything but she could feel the anger radiating off of him. He leaned up with her still in his arms. His eyes were warm amber, but everything else about him was cool.
“Show me.” Is all he said and she nodded. She never showed anybody her scars, but she could tell he needed to see them. And for whatever reason she needed him to see them too. She moved herself from his lap and pulled down her pajama shorts, leaving her in her pink polka dot cheekies. The scars were there, ugly little raised bumps on her skin, some criss crossed each other. Others just seemed never ending. Those were when he had a particularly bad day. Thomas softly grabbed her legs and put them on his lap. She kept her gaze on him, not the ugly reminders of her past. He skimmed them, making a little shiver go up her spine that she didn’t dare hide. His fingers ran along one of the scars that made a complete rim around her upper thigh.
“That was when I told him that I was leaving, of course I wasn’t really leaving, but he was still pretty pissed.” She told him softly, but he showed no sign of comprehending. Slowly his fingers went down, until there were no more scars, where her skin was clean and soft. To where her shortest skirt laid. He closed his eyes and moved her legs from his lap as if they disgusted him. She put her head down and pulled her pajama shorts back on. He picked his jacket up and, without another look at her, left the motel room. She heard his bike drive off and her heart broke. She was alone again, and she didn’t like how it felt at all. Chapter 5

He hadn’t meant to leave her, but he couldn’t stomach those scars. The very touch of them made his vision go red with rage. More than two times he had to push the idea of finding Terrence and punch him in the face, hard. Instead he rode around. He rode around until the sun rose and the temperature spiked. When it did he went back to the motel, his wolf was at least a little soothed by the ride. He was about to knock on the door but it was snatched open. Her small arms wrapped around him and she sobbed.
“I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have showed you the scars. I’m sorry you’re upset. But I can’t change my past. Please don’t be mad at me for that.” She sobbed into his shirt, squeezing him when he didn’t hug her back. He squeezed his eyes closed and wrapped his arms around her. He would take it slow for her sake.
“I’m so, so sorry. Please don’t be mad Tommy.” She cried into his chest. It ached for her to hurt because of him, his wolf howled in his mind. He tried to step away from her but she just clutched onto him.
“Please don’t leave, please stay for the rest of the night.” She whined, trying to get a good grip on him.
“Its morning, I have to go to work.” No he didn’t, but he couldn’t stomach staying with her knowing the things she went through. She let go reluctantly and nodded.
“Ok, yeah, I understand that. I guess, I guess I’ll see you later then.” She said softly, her words disappearing in the wind. She backed into the room with her head down; she sniffled softly and closed the door. He groaned and tore himself away from the door. Why the hell had he come back in the first place!!?? He punched his hand and drove back to his apartment. He couldn’t go to work today, that wouldn’t be able to focus. To be an architect, you had to focus.


She spent all day fretting in her motel room. She didn’t know what to do with herself. She’d never taken rejection well, but this hurt her. Her heart felt like he just stomped on it and sung a merry tune. She stood in the bathroom looking at her reflection. Her face looked extremely pale, making what little freckles she had stand out. Her wide black eyes looked dull and nasty. Her lips seemed to be in an everlasting pout she couldn’t seem to fix. She had to go to work, this was her first week, she wasn’t going to be absent on her first week. Letting out a loud breath she bit her bottom lip.
“You can do this you little chicken.” she told herself and pinned her hair up in a ponytail. she put on a plain white v-neck shirt and jeans that fit like a second skin. She walked out and locked her door. She gave herself one more nod and walked to her bike. She went slow, for the first time in her life, on the bike. She hesitated when she reached the pulsing bar but she threw herself inside. Everyone cheered and she smiled softly. She walked to the bar and took off her leather jacket.
“’Bout time you showed up.” Sarah said then went over to the food side.
“Hey chick-a-dee.” Carol said leaning over the counter top and showing Molly a generous amount of boob.
“What’s up?” Molly asked, putting her leather jacket underneath the bar counter.
“Think you could fix me a martini, your girls’ been giving out nothin’ but beer.”Carol asked and Molly rolled her eyes. She fixed Carol her drink while the everyone cheered. Her hear picked up speed and some of the liquor splashed. She tried to hide it, she never spilled or made a mistake, but Carol caught it.
“You Ok chick-a-dee?” Carol asked, sounding generally worried.
“Yeah, kinda tired. Didn’t get a lot of sleep.” Molly said distractedly and gave Carol her drink.
“Do you mind if I sit here then?” She asked already settling down. Molly chuckled and shook her head.
“Sure why not?” she said bitterly and went around giving everyone their drinks. She bobbed her head and sung the songs under her breath while she fixed the drinks. She slipped up about 3 times, each time made her more nervous. By the time the bar closed she was starved and her nerves were everywhere. She ordered a cheeseburger with extra pickles and fries. As she waited for her food she bit her nails and bopped her foot up and down. something she hadn’t done since she was 7. She looked down at the counter and traced little patterns with the hand that she wasn’t biting.
“You seem lost in thought.” Carol said from behind her, making her jump out of her skin and give a little shriek.
“Whoa, calm down. you look like a scared little bunny.” She remarked and sat down next to Molly.
“Sorry, didn’t get much sleep last night.” Molly said laughing nervously and pulling her nails from her mouth.
“What are you still doing here? Didn’t your shift end like a half hour ago?” Carol asked, playing with the hem of her jacket.
“Yeah, but I’m hungry.” She told her and still bopped her foot.
“You know your guy’s still here, right?” Carol whispered, Molly bit her lip and nodded. She could feel his heat, somewhere, he was here somewhere hidden.
“Well that’s good. I hope everything works out with you two. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must retire for the night. And just in time so it seems.” Carol said, and jutted her chin out toward the kitchen where her food was coming from.
“Bye Carol.” Molly said feebly. The door closed and she smiled softly up at Sarah.
“Think you could close up for me?” she asked and Molly nodded, taking a bite from her burger.
“Thanks, I owe you one.” Sarah said and kissed her cheek.
“You can come out from wherever you are, not gonna bite anything besides my burger.” She said weakly and took another bite of her burger. He came from the shadows, his eyes a shadow of what they were earlier.
“You look like a creeper.” She told him simply and popped a fry in her mouth, desperately trying to hold in her nervousness.
“I’m sure I do.” He mumbled and sat on the bar side, but he kept his eyes locked with hers. She couldn’t do it, her nerves were too frayed.
“I’m gonna go, I’m tired.” She said and picked up the plate. She’d bring it back tomorrow, or not. She didn’t really care, she had to leave. Gripping the plate she picked up her jacket and made a bee line for the door. Well she tried; his lumber jack body blocked her way.
“Where are you going?” he asked her and she fought hard not to cry under his judgmental stare.
“I’m going to the motel, I’m tired.” She stuttered and looked down to her half eaten burger. What had he done to her! She’d gone from brave and sturdy to some stuttering cowering fool in one night!
“Why don’t