The 3 Month Plan

Mr Landlord

*2 Weeks Later*

"Please just give me one more week," I say over the phone while trying to control the tears.

"One week is all you have. You're already behind on one week of rent. By the end of this week, I want the advance payment and also the payment for last week that you still owe me."

"Promise," I whisper as the landlord hangs up the phone.

I contemplate calling my parents, only to know what has happened to the place I call home. I tried everything to save the family estate, to save my parents that I even agreed to a six month contract with Rocky. A stupid contract that made me realise how much I still felt for him. A damn contract that opened old wounds and memories.

If I cannot pay the rent then I have to leave and I do not have enough funds on me to afford a place otherwise I would have afforded this place.

I also cannot go back to Rocky. How could I? I left him. If I was to walk right back into his life, it would be for all the wrong reasons.

Grabbing the phone, I dial my mother before regret consumes me. It rings once, twice and then the line connects.

"Hello," she replies.

"Mother," I whisper. "It's me, Sky?"

"Oh dear lord, Sky," she says frantically. "Your father and I have been worried crazy about you. Where are you and why on earth are you not staying with Rocky? Did you two fight?"

I clear my throat. "I really do not want to talk so please don't ask questions. I just want to know one thing. What has happened to my house?"

I can hear my mother cover up a sob over the phone. "Sky, we really tried," she whispers.

"That's not answering my question!" I shout. "What has happened to my house?"

"We handed it over to Aaron," she says.

"Why would you do that?" I say yelling.

"It's not like we gave it to him freely, Sky. He had threatened to kill you. The day he broke into your place. He was on the phone with us. One of his men held a gun at us and forced us to sign it over otherwise we would die here and you and Rocky would die there."

I shake my head. I cannot believe this is happening.

"But don't worry, Sky," she says in a panic. "We're taking this to court. Now that both Paul and Aaron are arrested, we can say it was done under duress."

"How could you let this happen?" I say disappointedly.

"We were doing this for you, Sky. We were trying to save your life."

"No," I tell her. "You and father were doing this for yourselves like you always have. I have nothing else to say."

"Sky," mother says and this time I can sense the quiver in her voice. "We took out your funds."

My throat catches. "My-my finds? What funds?"

"Your saving funds. We purchased a small little house. If you come over, we can stay together and solve this. Fight the case and in the meanwhile, restart the business."

"Mother," I say sternly. "Just tell me how much is left?"

"Nothing, Sky. We were going to be homeless, did you want that? This is for all of us. You had enough to start again."

"Goodbye, mother."

I hang up the phone and drop myself on the couch. My whole world has turned upside down. How did this happen?

How could Paul and Aaron still come out on top? It just doesn't seem possible.

I cannot even dip into my savings. I drop to my knees and scream. What am I going to do?

Grabbing my keys, and tying my shoelaces, I head out the door. I stand by my front entrance watching the cars drive by. Slowly and carefully I take one step forward, and then another, and another.

I watch the beach. The happy people. The water. The waves.

Regret consumes me. I cannot do this. As I turn around, I smack into someone. Taking a step back, I rub my forehead and turn to face the person standing by my front door.

"Could you watch where you're going!" I yell.

Rocky's face comes into view. "I could say the same about you."

My heart beats fast. It's him. It's truly him. I want to go up to him and wrap my arms around him and kiss him, but I don't. I'm no good for him. He deserves better.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Why did you leave?" He asks.

"You cannot answer my question with another question," I tell him.

"Who says I can't," Rocky replies taking a step forward.

I watch his leg. We're not that much away from one another and him coming closer may make me do something I'll regret.

"Come home, Sky," he says.

I shake my head. "No. That's not why I left."

"Why did you leave then?"

"Please just go Rocky."

"My wife is telling me to leave. My wife just got up and left. Don't you think I deserve an explanation?" He asks, raising his voice slightly.

"No you don't," I tell him. "Technically not your wife since the contract is over."

Rocky watches me for a moment as if my words are daggers that pierced his heart. "So that's why you left," he says disappointedly. "How about the part where I told you that I loved you, that you were my world and I couldn't live without you. You didn't think to stay for that, or what about when you said you loved me too. You didn't want to stay because of that?"

I swallow and try hard to keep a straight face. My heart aches and he knows exactly what to say to bring those emotions to the surface. "I only said that because of the contact, so we could stay civilised."

Rocky frowns. "I didn't think you'd go this low."

I smile back. "Done?" I ask him. "Can I go back in?"

Without waiting for a reply, I walk past him and get inside. Once inside I drop myself to the ground and begin to cry.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Of course Daniella told him where she spotted me but how on earth did he locate it to the exact house I was staying at.

I just hurt the man I love.

How did I reach this stage.

My phone rings. I look down. It's my landlord. Frantically wiping at my tears and clearing my throat, I pick up the phone. "Hello."

"Sky, my darling," he says. "Turns out I have just sold the house. But you don't have to worry. The new owner has agreed to keep you as a tenant. You're off the hook for the one week of rent. Consider it a gift. The new owner will be in touch shortly to discuss the new living arrangements."

"Mr Stevens, how could you not give me a warning?" I ask.

"Oh dear, up until a few hours ago, I was not planning to sell the property but a dashing young man offered me a lot of money for it. Three times what the property is worth so I figured why not."

The phone cuts as I pick myself off the floor. How on earth do I get stuck from one predicament to another.