At Your Service ✓

[Chapter Thirty-Nine] Mari

Chapter Thirty-Nine – Mari

I agreed to dinner with him this weekend and I wasn't going to back down, this whole thing with him actually kind of fascinated me. I've never had feelings for someone before now and as I leaned in the doorway and watched Lalexia curled up against him while they watched 'How To Train Your Dragon' those feelings just grew. He was great with her and it amazed me that the asshole I first met had a soft spot for a seven year old and loved this movie more than her.

It was nice spending time with him today, almost like I really was twenty-four. I felt young and carefree and lighter today. It was just a normal date that ended with cuddling and movies and that's what this whole weekend could be.

Kind of, it would be a lot more x rated than today.

Seriously, how can you see the sight in front of me and not want to jump him. When a man was good with kids it made him so much more attractive.

He had been staying over the whole week and he would even help when Lex woke up coughing in the middle of the night, poor thing, she was getting better but she wasn't over it yet.

When the weekend came around she was feeling better; which is a good thing because she as upset last weekend when I told her she couldn't see Eva. She had to stay home because she was sick. She pouted and it was not a pleasant weekend, Shawn found it amusing though, jackass.

I picked her up from school and took her over to Marla's a little early so I could spend time with her.

"So you're going on a date with him?" Marla smirked and I shrugged

"I guess, it's not a big deal." It kind of was to me though.

"Oh shut up, you know it is for you. Are you going to date him?" she asked curiously

"I'm still seeing Ed in a few weeks." I told her and she frowned

"Why not drop him?" she asked me

"He's a friend and I may after this, he's going to be gone a while again anyways. I'm just so close." I sighed and flopped back on her bed.

"When do you start this job?" she asked and I smiled

"Two weeks. I have training with her first though so I'm up to date, I'm so excited." I said happily, my culinary teacher was amazing and I couldn't thank her enough for getting me this job. It paid pretty well, not as well as sex did but it was a good job, an honest job.

It was a job I would love not one that would make me hate myself more and more every day. I tried not to think about it, I tried not to think of the men who had touched me and used me and beat me but sometimes it was hard.

Sometimes I couldn't help but obsess over it and wonder what would have happened if that first men never raped me, what would have happened if I didn't get in with the wrong man who would pimp me out, what would have happened if I didn't run away, what would have happened if I had normal parents.

I may have a better life but I wouldn't have Lex and everything was worth it for her.

I wished I could take it back and go through school and move out but still have her.

But there was absolutely nothing I could do about it now, my past will soon be just a past and it won't be any part of my future. I'm going to have a real job, I'm going to actually work for my money, I'm going to be happy and do something I loved.

"I'm excited, Marla." I said honestly and she smiled and wrapped her arms around me

"Good! You better be because I'm excited for you and so proud." She was bouncing up and down and I held onto her as her brown hair flew all around and she squealed a little, she was ecstatic for me. I love her, she really was like the sister I never had.