DOUBLE EDGED A Harper's Book. (Book 10)

Making Changes

Talk about being pissed. I was more than pissed, I was livid. I was hurt and humiliated yet again by King. No more. Never again would I be his little plaything. Never again would I let myself be forced to stay with him.

Once again I had to endure people's gawking stares as I was escorted out of the building like a common criminal. Once again he battered me with such hateful word's but what's more appalling is that King placed his hands on me. We've had our share of heated arguments but never has he done anything like that before. Sure, I hit him first but he deserved it. He had it coming and I don't regret it. In fact my only regret is that I didn't hit him harder or in a more vulnerable area.

As I sat stewing at home, another thought occurred to me. There's a very high chance that in a few day's King will be over himself and drag me back to his place. Well that's not going to happen. Nope, never again.

Okay, so he confessed about the death of his mother, so what? Sure, I feel for him and hate that he blames himself but that's no excuse in his behavior toward me. All I wanted to do was help him overcome his guilt and learn to live. I understand now why he treats me As such. King is afraid to get close to anyone and let them in, afraid of losing them to. I imagine it is tough for him carrying around all this guilt but I refuse to be his punching bag anymore. Normally I would try to help someone like that but in this case it's not fair to me. King not only hurts himself but other's as well. I can't endure anymore of his verbal abuse. I will not shed another tear over him.

True, this last time I refused to give into him and kept my distance. I even did spiteful thing's in hope's of him sending me away. However it still hurt when he actually did kick me out. That tells me that deep down I do still care for him. Which is why it's time for a drastic change.

The next morning I woke up and got right down to it. Knowing that there's a huge possibility that King might come back gave me the courage to take this next step. I couldn't allow him back in my life nor force me again. It took nearly a week of planning but by the end everything worked out smoothly. First thing I did was start my new apartment search on the internet. By lunch I had the perfect beach apartment picked out In the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Why this destination you might ask? Well for one I can't wait to see how it feels to wake up every morning to the ocean view my new apartment offers. All I have to do is slide open my glass doors and the ocean is right there. To hear the seagulls sing and watch the wild Spanish horses that roam the shoreline freely has already got me excited.

But there's other reasons I chose this particular spot. It's a small town with a very rich vibe. The small town will make it hard for me to be found. King would never suspect me to find such a laid back place like this for my refuge. Now the other reason is that I can continue my work here. Yes, don't let this small town, laid back area fool you. The many beautiful golf courses attract the very rich. Not only that but many celebrities live here and it is a hot spot for filming movie's. In fact, it has been dubbed the Hollywood of the East Coast without all of the drama.

I'm sure once I get settled in and learn the place I can snag my first new paycheck and by paycheck I mean rich, unsuspecting man. After my apartment was secured and flight arranged, I had my number changed and my bank accounts transferred. By the end of the week everything I planned on taking was packed and shipped. Giving a last glance at Vegas, I said a silent goodbye and looked in the direction of King's building. Knowing I needed to do this for me, I stepped in the waiting cab and was carried away.

It wasn't long before I found myself in North Carolina. It was night when I arrived so I didn't get to see the apartment view all that well but when I woke the next morning it was so worth the wait. Slipping my silk robe over my matching bra and panty set, I flung open my glass doors. It was then that I understood why they call this place the crystal coast. The white sandy beaches reflected off the bluest water giving the impression that diamond's or crystals were in the waves, possibly glitter. As I stepped out onto my private deck, the sea breeze blew my robe open as the salty air kissed my lips and skin but I didn't care. There was a vegetative wall that surrounded my deck to block any onlookers.

I enjoyed my coffee on my new deck as I watched parent's playing in the surf with there children. A group of teenager's were blaring their music as the girls sunbathed and the boy's tossed a football. Down the way was a couple flying a kite and a elderly man walking with his metal detector. Smiling to myself, I thought that this is what paradise felt like.

As much as I wanted to sink my toes in the sand I knew I needed to unpack and situate my place. Getting up, I sulked back inside and begin to get to work. Around two, I had almost everything unpacked and put into it's proper places. Finally, I slipped into my bathing suit and ventured out. The beach was much more crowded by now but I still had plenty of room to spread my towel out. Being a ginger, I applied a glob of sunscreen. Before settling on my towel, I made my way to where the water met the shore. It was cool and refreshing all at the same time. However i didn't go any further. Not knowing how to swim put me at a disadvantage.

Calling it a day around 4, I headed back in and showered. The heat here was like nothing I had ever felt so I opted for a short but breezy skirt with a matching halter top paired with some strappy sandals. Pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I set forth to explore the town and buy some food for my empty fridge.

By the end of the week I had made this place my home. My mornings always started in my pajamas on my deck with my coffee. Then I spent a few hour's on the beach. This was the life but soon I would start my search for my next money bags.