Chapter 6: Can’t Take The Job
1356 Words
-Ava-
“I got it!” I burst through the front door and startled Cassy, who was napping at the moment. She worked at a hospital in the city and was resting before her night shift started. I had clearly interrupted her, but I did not care. I was too happy to care about anything else but the fact that I had gotten the job. Cassy looked over the back of the couch, still confused from sleep.
“What?” she inquired.
“I got the job!” I exclaimed and practically flew over to her, landing beside her.
Cassy rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times before focusing on me. She smiled when she saw how excited I was and reached out, taking my hand.
“You got that fancy job?” she asked me.
“I’m an assistant,” I reminded her and rolled my eyes.
“For a very rich person,” she noted.
“And powerful. Don’t forget powerful. You should have seen her. You step into the room and you already know she owns it. She’s unbelievable! I can’t believe she’s my mate—"
“Wow, slow down!”
I looked confused at Cassy as she stared at me.
“What did you say?” she questioned.
“She’s unbelievable?”
“No, the mate part?”
“Oh, yeah, she’s my mate,” I revealed. “But right now, I can’t think about that. I got the job!”
“Wow, wow, Ava, hold on,” she told me, grabbing my hand.
“What?”
“I know you don’t truly understand how important the mate bond is, considering you’ve been with a sociopath for many years and your parents aren’t really prime examples, but the bond is a powerful thing,” she reminded me.
“I understand.”
“And do you think it might have played a role in why you got the job?” she asked me.
I suddenly realized I had not thought it through. I believed that my sad little story was what tipped her over. Could it be that it was because we were mates that she agreed? Oh no!
“She is a vampire,” I pointed out.
“She is, but even vampires know when they find their mates. Maybe they don’t realize right away, but they know they are attracted to them,” she pointed out.
“You think she was attracted to me?”
“Well, were you attracted to her?”
I thought over Cassy’s question. The moment I looked at Everly Colt, my heart began to beat so fast, and I was turned on like never before. It was unbelievable the power she held over me.
“Yes,” I replied.
“See?”
“You think she hired me because she wanted to sleep with me?” I inquired.
“No, I think she felt like you were different and needed you around more because of it. I mean, did you really think she hired you because of your experience?”
“Hurtful!” I said and crossed my arms.
“I’m sorry. I am just saying being that woman’s assistant is not going to be easy. It requires certain skills and you…” Cassy trailed off as she saw how angry I got. “I mean, you are not really…”
“What?” I pressed.
“Well, you are…”
“I am what?” I asked.
“Wow, have the hormone trips already begun?” she whispered to herself, but I could clearly hear her.
“Cassy!” I scolded.
“Sorry!” she exclaimed and took a deep breath. “Sorry, let’s go back.”
“Back?”
“Yes, how do you feel?” she questioned and smiled.
“Feel?”
“About Everly Colt,” she clarified.
“Oh, um,” I murmured.
“She is your mate. I mean, did you not think to mention it to her at the interview?” she inquired.
I shrugged and leaned back on the couch as I sighed. “Not really.”
“Why?”
“I guess… I guess I was just caught off guard, and besides, it’s not important,” I mumbled.
“Of course, it is!” Cassy exclaimed and pushed me gently.
“Come on, Cass. I mean, Zachery will never let me go, and I am technically still bound to him since we have not rejected each other,” I pointed out.
“But he is not your true mate! This vampire is,” she countered.
“It can’t happen.”
Cassy looked at me with such a sad look in her eyes, and then she sighed deeply. “Then you can’t accept the job,” she told me.
“What?” I sat up, looking at her, shocked.
“The bond will only grow stronger the more time you two spend together,” she reminded me. “You can’t take it.”
“But—”
“Ava! No!” she exclaimed. “If you don’t want to involve her in your life, then you need to tell her you can’t take it.”
“But I just got it!” I shouted.
“I know.”
“What will I do if I don’t take it? It is my only option,” I reminded her.
“There will be other opportunities,” she assured me. “Besides, you will have to change your sleeping schedule to match that vampire’s. They are awake at night.”
“I’m aware, but I mean, if I was able to get to the interview tonight, then I can continue to do the same for my job.”
“But this is not really about when the shifts are. This is about you not involving that poor vampire in your mess, right?” she inquired.
I sighed. It was not that I didn’t get what Cassy was saying, but finally, I had this job, and I didn’t want to let it go.
Her go, my wolf corrected. I suddenly felt terrified. It wasn’t just about the job, was it? It was about her. It was about Everly Colt. She was why I didn’t want to leave again, but she was also the reason why I had to.
“I can’t take the job,” I mumbled.
“Sadly, no,” Cassy said. “But hey, you can apply at my place!”
“As a cleaning lady in a hospital? I am already feeling nauseous, and now you want me to wipe up other people’s blood and puke?” I inquired.
“Do you have another idea?” she asked me.
I shook my head, feeling so defeated, because I thought I had my solution. I thought this job might be my way to freedom and get some control over my life, but I was wrong. I was only involving others in my mess.
“No, but I will think about that afterward. First, I need to go down there tomorrow night and tell her that I can’t be her assistant. I am sure she won’t be so sad about it. She had a huge stack of other applicants,” I admitted.
“See? No problem then,” Cassy remarked, trying to sound cheerful because she knew how awful I was feeling. “I am sorry, Ava.”
“Yeah…”
“It’s going to be okay,” she promised.
“If you say so. I think I will go sleep a little,” I told her.
“That’s a good idea,” she agreed. I got up from the couch and told her goodnight before I walked to the next floor and walked inside my room.
I closed the door, but I did not take even one step forward. I rested my back against the door and slid down to the ground. I wrapped my arms around myself and started to cry. Even miles away Zachery was still ruling me, and it made me feel so weak and scared. It was not fair, but it was my life.
- Writer
