Proxy [l.h]

20. Betrayals and Breakups

Long chapter today because I felt like it :) Enjoy

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«DAY 10 cont.»

Luke

As soon as we'd left Ben's office, we'd had to make a decision. Times Square was an obvious option, it was an open area with lots of seeing eyes, and it was the busiest and the most popular around this time of year. Perfect for a place to be caught doing something, one would say.

With our directions, the taxi weaved through the tall buildings of New York City, passing along the square where crowds of people and things moved at once. Some of the civilians were on their phones, some carrying shopping bags, or drifting busily through the streets. I watched them through the fogged-up window and wondered how many of them would recognise me when I kissed Amber. And I wondered which one of them would be the first one to see us together.

"We have to do it, don't we?" Amber interrupted suddenly, pulling me away from the window. She sat in the seat next to me, her eyes boring into me. I nodded solemnly. Then her guilt-filled eyes moved from mine to her feet in thought.

"Why are you doing it?" She finally asked me.

"Why are you doing it? Aren't you supposed to be Michael's girlfriend?" I shot back.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Amber said, clenching her jaw. "I have no other choice but to pray he'll understand."

"Is your modelling career that important?" I asked in disgust. "You always do what your dad tells you to. And you know Michael as well as I do. He's not going to 'understand', he'll go batshit crazy when he sees us."

"You should hear yourself," Amber snapped, and her burning gaze focused on me again. "You're doing the exact same thing. So what do you think we both have in common?"

I opened my mouth to answer her, but no sound came out.

I knew the answer to that question.

We were all pawns to Ben, including his own daughter. When he gave orders, you had to comply, because he had that kind of effect and power over everyone. And not to mention, he used the car accident as leverage to keep me obedient.

As for Amber, it was modelling. She lived and breathed her career, even though the only ads she'd gotten so far were one or two shots for the local department store. Her patience was slowly running out when she didn't already have her own reality show and a featured spread in Vogue.

For her, the leverage was greed. She noticed my never-ending supply of cheques and cars and fame and gold, and realised she may just get what her dad had promised. She looked at me and this kiss as the start of a lifetime of riches. But would it work like Ben had said? Would Amber get what she'd wanted out of it?

Amber scoffed when I couldn't answer her question.

The taxi came to a stop as the driver parked the car near the intersection, right next to the concrete walkway of Times Square.

Without exchanging a word, Amber and I slowly took off the layers of scarves and gloves and sunglasses that hid our identities. She shoved them all in her purse, and I in my coat pocket. I got out of the car first, my heart pounding as the cold air met my bare, exposed face, then I opened the door for Amber on the other side. She got out without muttering so much as a 'thanks'.

She slammed the door shut behind her and our eyes met. Despite her attitude, hers were big and doe-eyed, like a lost little girl at the mall.