Better Off Away (BOOK 2)(Wattys2016)

The Once Golden Boy

That afternoon, I'm surprised by another guest: Jeremiah Creal.

He is snakelike as he enters into my room, his eyes cutting to the corners and searching out the bedroom. I immediately hate that he is in the one safe place I thought I had within the House. And yet, here he is, reminding me of why I am deciding to turn away from his kingdom of lies.

"How can I help you?" I put on a sickeningly charming smile.

He smiles back, eyes still venomous. "Oh, I won't be long, Miss Littlefield. I just thought you could use with a reminder after the... situation of last night." His eyes scan the room, taking in the piles of Lola's clothes and the picture frames I have filled with photos of my friends and family. They pause on a photo of my best friends on graduation and his lips curl. I can't help but wonder why he hates me.

I stiffen, remembering the yells that came from Jack's room. I look at the man before me and I see him as the cruel man he is: the man who took away his son's golden light, the man who took hope away from a dying woman, and the man who has left his own son to fend for himself, without a family.

Jeremiah narrows his eyes. "Keep it in mind that you will finish the contract with Jack. You will, Miss Littlefield, because I will ruin you if you don't. I have potential to sue you for every single penny to your name and to your family's name. Understand what I'm saying, dear?"

I swallow the anger gathering in my throat and nod. "I understand that I have to finish the contract. I know that."

I know that I have to lie a short while more. I know that this lie will ruin all I have with Jack.

"You have less than a month now, Macey. I want a contract with my son."

I clear my throat as he starts to leave. He looks back at me and I say what I need to. "Do you plan on placing me with Jack in our next assignment?"

Jeremiah looks at me cautiously. "Yes," He says it slowly, hesitantly.

I nod my head. "You'll have your contract within the next two weeks, if not sooner."

Jeremiah smiles, but I can't help but see how poisonous he is. "Good, Miss Littlefield. This is the kind of initiative I want from my employees. Very good."

He slithers out of the room and I'm left wondering how much more self hate I can actually put upon myself.

***

Before dinner, Lola comes into the Lavender room with a confused expression on her face. She's dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a ripped up t-shirt and I think she must have just been out with Tom, but that doesn't explain her expression.

"What's up, Lola?"

She looks at me as if just now realizing I'm in the room. She shakes her head, trying to explain. "I just had the strangest encounter with Jeremiah Creal."

I feel my stomach drop. Does she know about the contract I have with him?

I swallow the lump in my throat, forcing a look of concern onto my face. "Oh? What happened?"

She sits next to me, running a hand through her red hair. "He threatened me, Macey. Like, legit threatened me."

Now I'm really confused. "Like... how?"

Lola looks down at her fingertips, analyzing them with scrutiny. I realize she's avoiding my gaze because she's embarrassed. "It seems... he's learned some things about my past... some things that I'm ashamed of, and he said he'd use them against me if I mess up."

"Mess up how?" I ask while wrapping an arm around her.

She leans in to me. "I think he wants me to work with him because I'm good at this job. I scored extremely well in the editorial test he had me take and I think he's afraid I might not work here if it's my choice. He gave me an ultimatum."

My brow furrows as I try to decide what to do. I can't tell her about my contract with Jeremiah. I just can't. "I don't know, Lola. That seems awfully harsh. He's never... He's never been like that with me."

The lie sticks to my tongue and nearly makes me choke.

Lola purses her lips, clearly upset over the ordeal. "Has Jack ever hinted anything about his father being cruel?"

I give her a funny look, but inside I'm thinking of how Jack's missing that golden light. "No, Jack hasn't said anything... Why would he tell me if there was?"

Lola rolls her eyes, a smile actually itching onto her face. "We all know he's completely head over heels for you, Macey. I wish someone looked at me like he looks at you."

"I don't know what you're talking about..." She arches an eyebrow at me and I shrug, continuing. "But Tom does look at you in a way no other guy ever will – and I mean that in a good way."

She laughs while shrugging. "But do I look at him the same way?"

I drop my arm, leaning back on my bed. "He's a good guy."

I remember Isabelle saying the exact same thing to me.

"I know he is... but like I said, I have a past that I'm ashamed of. I'm not a good girl." She stands up, striding away towards the bathroom. "I'm going to get ready for dinner."

***

Dinner is a somewhat enlightening.

All around me I see a web, sticky and carefully woven together. At the center of the web sits Jeremiah, venomous and filled with hate. He has spun the web until there is no breaking point. He has woven each thread until it is no longer able to be penetrated. He keeps watch of the web, killing those who threaten to take over. On either side of him is his own kind: those like Mia. They do his bidding, fetching the best of the best and laying them before their master, Jeremiah, so he can keep them as his own.

And there, on the outer edges are the trapped – those who have been enticed and left to die, due to becoming wrapped in the web. I am there, trapped. Me, Jack and Lola. And probably countless others beside us – ready to escape but never able to.

But perhaps I will escape. I won't be the same when I first got trapped, but I don't think I want to forget this. I don't want to forget the boy who lost his golden light. The boy who had it taken away from him.

Because as long as I remember Jack, I'll remember that I got to see a glimpse of how beautiful life can really be.

I have two weeks. Two weeks to escape from this web. Two weeks to capture more memories with the once golden boy. Two more weeks until I'm gone.

•••

A/N: here's an update for you!

Hope you liked it. Please vote and comment if you did.

On the side is a picture of Sam Clafin.

Next update: Thursday

Teaser: Jacey (Macey/Jack ship name) go into the City