Dawn of Eve, MJ Howson [lightweight ebook reader TXT] 📗

to keep the memories away. “We got into a fight. A literal fight. Furniture got broken and shit. That room was trashed. At some point, he grabbed a knife. I remember him telling me he could end all my careers. He picked up the phone and called 911, claiming he had an intruder in the house. I backed off and started to leave. And then . . . .” Jacob pointed to the scar on his face. “He did this.”

Jacob slowly sunk into the pillow behind him, his mind spinning with the images of that horrific night. It was the only time in his life he’d gone into total shock. The buzz from the alcohol only made the memories that much harder to process. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“Was he arrested?” Sean asked, breaking Jacob’s trance-like stare.

Jacob sighed and shook his head. He looked at Sean and said, “Quite the opposite. He threatened to have me arrested. He let me leave before the cops arrived. I went to the closest hospital and told them I was mugged.”

“What? That’s bullshit.”

“Welcome to the world of the power elites, Sean. I should have seen it coming. The guy constantly fawned all over me. But I played the game. I wanted that contract.” Jacob closed his eyes and recalled the future stolen from him. “I wanted that life.”

“I’m so sorry, Jacob.”

“Thanks.” Jacob opened his eyes, sat up, and propped his chin in his hand. “The shitty part is that I went on a spending spree a week before signing the contract. I mean, it was a done deal. I went wild, buying clothes, jewelry, cars. I even signed a lease on a sweet place in West Hollywood. I racked up so much debt. I’m. . . . I’m still paying it off.”

“Wow.” Sean scratched his head and frowned. “How . . . how much do you owe?”

“Too much. Every month I have to make that payment.”

“Oh.” The bed creaked as Sean slouched and appeared lost in his thoughts. After a few moments, he looked at Jacob and asked, “Is . . . is that why you’re always late with the rent?”

Jacob nodded and said, “I mean, I spent a lot on Dawn. I really did try my best to give her what I thought she deserved.”

“Did she know?”

“About my debt? No. I never even told her how I got the scar. Some things are better kept secret, you know?”

“Sure.”

Jacob watched the blood drain and shift in Sean’s pasty skin until his cheeks became bright red. Sean lowered his head and looked away as he fidgeted with the blanket resting beneath him.

“What?” Jacob asked.

“Nothing. I was just, um, thinking.”

“About?” Jacob took another swig of Patron as he studied his roommate’s sudden change in tone. “Spit it out, Sean.”

“Well, you have all those clients, right?”

“My gym clients? What about them?”

“Not those.” Sean’s eyes wandered the room in desperation. He clenched his fists and then scratched at his chin. In a thin voice, he said, “I . . . I know about your other ones.”

“Oh?” The memories of the assault from years ago quickly melted away. He turned and looked down at his distraught-looking roommate. Jacob leaned closer to Sean and asked, “What, exactly, do you know?”

Thirty Nine

Broken

Dawn’s hands trembled as she ran her fingers across the pages of Eve’s diary. She’d spent the past hour curled beside her bed, reliving the children’s birthday parties. Dawn closed the book and held the worn leather against her nose. The marks gracing the cover smelled of charred wood. She pressed her lips against the diary and said, “This is all I have left to remember you by.”

The old jewelry box sitting beside Dawn suddenly felt very personal to her. She placed the book back inside the cedar-lined case and slid it beneath the bed. Dawn sighed as she stood up and walked back to the patio door. The wind outside continued to howl and whistle. Her eyes burned red with tears as she stared through the glass. The Spire’s beacon continued to pulsate, illuminating the exterior walls and railing in a deep red hue.

“I’ll never forgive you for this, Jacob.” Dawn pressed her hand against the door and closed her eyes. The image of Jacob dropping Eve over the side of the balcony played in her mind on an endless loop. She opened her eyes and gazed at the empty terrace. “Never.”

Pieces of shattered doorframe littered the bedroom floor. Dawn tiptoed barefoot through the debris and made her way to the private elevator in the hallway. When she reached the main floor, she went to the kitchen. Her hands trembled as she struggled to open a bottle of wine. Dawn allowed her eyes to drift toward the main terrace.

“Eve,” Dawn said, a tinge of hope in her voice. She shoved the bottle aside. Her heart raced as she ran past the dining room and to the wall of windows. Dawn pressed her face to the glass and let her eyes scan the furniture scattered across the balcony. “Could you . . . .”

Dawn went to the door, opened it, and stepped onto the balcony. The wind howled as it ripped past her. As she searched the area, her hope quickly faded. Eve was nowhere to be found. Dawn inched closer to the railing and craned her neck over the edge. The drop to the High Line felt dizzying. Down below in the darkness, the elevated walkway looked like twisted pieces of faded multi-colored yarn snaking between the scattered buildings. Lampposts highlighted different sections, as did nearby illuminated windows. Try as she might, Dawn couldn’t make out any details. She went back inside, closed the door, and said, “I wonder.”

Dawn raced to the front door and entered the lobby. She didn’t bother to grab her shoes or coat. Dawn jammed her finger repeatedly against the elevator button. Her hands trembled with each press. The doors shimmied as the express car made its way