Chapter 3

“I’m sorry to ask you, but I was wondering if…if…there was any chance you could… loan me some money.”

Because there’s no-one else I can ask. She cringed inside, wanting to disappear into a black hole, hating that she had to beg to make ends meet. “It’s just that…” her voice trickled to a whisper, “I need to pay a hospital bill.” Savannah squeezed her eyes before opening them. Sitting alone at the kitchen table, she gripped the phone, her head lowered.

She had hit rock bottom and it was impossible to go any lower.

“A hospital bill for what?”

“For Jacob. He had an asthma attack last week and had to be hospitalized for a few days.”

“You never told me,” said Kay, her tone one of accusation.

“I’m sorry. There’s been a lot going on. He was at home for a few days and I was going crazy with worry trying to—” she gulped. Trying to see if Colt or her parents could help financially. “Trying to figure out what I was going to do.”

“I’m sorry, Sav. That’s sounds hard on you. How’s he now?”

She breathed easier. “He’s fine now. Back to his usual, energetic self.” That was all that really mattered, in the end. Begging, and scraping to make the bill was something she could do, but seeing her son ill in hospital was difficult to bear. “I hate to ask you, Kay, and I’ve been avoiding calling you for that reason.” Asking Kay for money had been as difficult as asking Tobias—almost. Maybe it was because she and Kay were roughly the same age; her cousin was a few years younger. Asking her for money made Savannah feel even more of a failure than she already did.

“How much is the bill?” Kay’s voice was solemn.

“$3583.95.”

Her cousin spluttered at the other end. “You’re freaking’ kidding me?” Silence fell, making Savannah even more uncomfortable. “Don’t you qualify for government assistance or something?” Kay’s reminder of what she should have done now made her burn with regret.

“I held off on signing up for it,” she whimpered “I thought I’d be able to land on my feet and find a permanent job soon enough.”

“But, Sav, you can’t make those kinds of assumptions, not with a young child to take care of. It was never going to be that easy.” Kay’s words twisted into her gut like a scythe.

“I know.” Savannah did know it but she had been so determined to land herself on her feet, that she’d gone about it all wrong, thinking it would be far easier than it really had been. But perhaps it wasn’t too late and even with the promise of the new job, she could still qualify for aid. It was time to throw away her pride and to start filling out the paperwork for government assistance.

“We’ll figure something out,” Kay told her as she struggled to compose herself; her shoulders slumped as she stared down at the floor.

“I know it’s a lot of money, and I’m sorry to burden you with my problems.”

“Shhhhh,” Kay soothed, but it did nothing to help her feel any better. What a loser she was. She couldn’t even call Kay on her cellphone, but had texted her cousin to call her back from work.

How low was that?

She was digging for cents, scrambling to survive. This was no way to get by in life, not if she wanted to provide Jacob with a life that was worth living. A dull and heavy ache settled in her chest, dragging her spirits even lower.

“Give me a week or so to see what I can do, Sav. Don’t worry.”

“Thanks. I owe you.”

“Take care of Jacob and don’t be sad. We’ll figure something out. I think I might be able to lend you half at least.”

She put the phone down as tears slid down her cheeks. Where was she supposed to conjure up the rest of the money from? Walking into Jacob’s room where he lay fast asleep, Savannah pulled the duvet, which he had kicked away, back over his body.

A deeper sadness settled over her as she watched her sleeping son. She was a complete failure and yet he thought she was the best mother in the world. He had no idea that she could barely keep it together. He could never know. She rubbed her tears away and walked out, gently closing the door behind her.

Worry still settled over her. It would be a huge help if Kay could lend her half but how was she going to make up the rest of the payment? The new job, as great as seemed, wasn’t double the salary and if this agency paid anything like her current agency did, then she would have to work a month without getting paid.

She could go back to waitressing in the evenings and maybe work at the supermarket on the weekends. It would be difficult but it would only be until she’d earned enough to get out of this rut. Lost in deep troubled thoughts of how to claw her way out of the darkness, Savannah jolted when the phone rang again. She answered it quickly.

“Arnold?”

“Sorry to bother you, Ms. Page. But there’s someone here who wants to see you. A gentleman by the name of Mr. Stone.” She backed away in fear at the mention of his name.

Tobias Stone.

What was he doing here and at this time of night? She shrank back, panic seizing her insides and squeezing her chest until she felt she couldn’t breathe anymore.

Why, oh why, oh why was he here—in her apartment block, downstairs in her lobby? She had nothing to say to him.

“Ms. Page?” Arnold’s gruff voice didn’t hide his concern. “If it’s too late I can—” Time slowed down as a myriad of conflicting emotions coursed through her body, paralyzing her senses. She wasn’t in the right state to deal with him and yet she had plenty to say to him, especially now that she would be leaving. Maybe this would be her final chance to tell him exactly what she thought of him.

When she didn’t reply, because her body seemed to have gone into lock-down mode, she heard Arnold’s faraway voice. “I’m afraid this isn’t a good time.”

“Wait.” She spoke up. She had things she needed Tobias Stone to hear and it would be better to say them now, outside of Stone Enterprises, before she walked away forever. “I’m coming down.”

She slipped a sweatshirt over her black lounge pants and stringy vest and then slipped on her sneakers. Her hand automatically lifted to the plastic clip which held her thick hair in place but she thought better of it. There was no point in shaking her hair loose.

She wasn’t hoping to impress Tobias Stone—she was hoping to give him a piece of her mind.