You Can't Buy My Heart, Mr. Vitiello

Ross

enthouse felt like being s

hesitated, convinced I had s

d been surgic

I had meticulously chosen to make this stone

tripped down to

ded in plastic sheets,

re hauling out debris

ng room, sitting in black trash bags

ling window, silhouetted agains

smoking

of his card

ly, were shackles d

d, my voice echoing in

rned

voice flat. "Sofia prefers m

that had split open, spilling my med

eeking out of another ba

h onto the floor with deliberate indifferenc

island, the only structure lef

vet box and slid it acro

inches fr

ce package

ed at

n't o

would be

eant to purchase th

" I asked, the wor

gagement will be an

igarette, his eyes narrowing

new place. I've arranged an apartment for you

evict

who had fallen

t the apartm

ena. Don't b

whispered, the fight draining

t him to the

ke the desi

take the

y with my books and th

ng?" he asked, his

ut

have anyw

igure i

he bags to

n't st

of annoyance and someth

property walking awa

near the university t

smoke and desperation, but

o the Dean's office to fin

s spectacles. "We were prepared to offer you a tenure-trac

ng the final line. "I nee

file, I collided with a chest

there," a deep

oked

n Cav

y of the surg

e only man in this city who had ever looke

ng down to inspect my red-

ulian. Just.

dn't

t kind. "If you need anything... coffee, a

red smile. "I might take

to a murmur. "I saw the news about the Vi

being

was the *Comar

," I said softly.

hone

n flashed

nged the con

nore

ang

ag

my grip on the phone

," Dante's v

as d

er got

your d

Come get me. T

there anymor

vibrating with a terrifying mix

ung

n, who was watchi

d a ride?"

te flooding my mouth. "I h

ab to the

r was u

e construction debris, a half-empty bott

ked wr

s shirt unbuttoned h

he tried to st

ught

dead weight of m

piece of furniture left-th

his eyes squeezed sh

not r

fr

, midway through unbuttoning hi

ha

ned hi

glassy,

ectly at me,

a cruel, drunken smirk twisting his lips.

bbed the back of my n

sn't

a col

was terrifying, desperate, and

e murmured ag

ved h

t heaving, wiping my mout

a perso

traini

o perfect his technique for t

up, tr

Dante," I said to t

dow and looked out

h my tears into str

ght, watching over

use I lo

the sun rise on a world wher