chapter 4

Analia Rayne ||

Two days later.

It's Thursday now.

Big moving day.

My mom isn't home today because of her interview so I can pack in peace. I'm a little sad that I'm leaving honestly. This is the only place I've learned to call home. Now I have to go call somewhere else home.

Oh, I ended up calling Ryle and telling him the sad news. He was so heartbroken.

"Your WHAT?!" he says screaming through the phone, making me pull the phone away from my ear. "You're pranking me, right? You're my favorite person," he says the last part quietly.

I laugh. "I know I am. It's hard for me not to be someone's favorite person. Like, have you met me? Who wouldn't love me?"

He sighs, "This news does suck, but I guess you gotta move onto big and better things, right?"

This is bigger, but I don't know about it being any better.

"I'm gonna miss you kiddo but at least now I don't have to worry about going to jail so, win-win," he says.

"Haha, very funny," I say with a dead tone. "You know you loved the thrill of it."

"No. I did not, but I did like what it came with. You."

This man is about to make me cry. I don't cry in front of people or let people hear me cry, so I hang up the phone.

Now we're here packing. Well, I'm packing.

So far I've packed my clothes from my closet, which isn't much, and my shoes from the closet as well. I grabbed the suitcase from under my bed, which I haven't used in years, and put my stripper clothes in there. I won't be needing those anymore.

This is a kind of bittersweet moment.

All the memories are being packed away into a box. Only the best moments I've had ever. No more Charlotte, no more Ryle, no more creepy men giving me 100 dollar bills, no more cocaine, no more-

Hold up.

No more white stuff.

It finally hits me. The truck.

I stop what I'm doing and get up from the floor and look at myself in the mirror.

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.

How am I supposed to survive this?

I'm praying that someone at this workplace at least has to have some type of drug. They have to right? I mean killing people you need something to help you cope, right? So they have to have something. Yeah. They have to.

I hear two loud knocks from the door downstairs that knock me out of my trance. I run down the stairs and open the door and see him.

The traitor.

"Oh, it's you," I say with a bored tone.

"Hi, to you too Analia. I'm here to help you carry your boxes out to the car and take you back to the apartment," he says with a smile.

"Come in, I guess," I say ushering him into my house.

He walks in and looks around my house with both of his hands in front of his stomach. He's wearing a suit, just like last time. But this time it's a dark blue, that brings out his eyes. He wearing a black button-up under the suit. I guess they dress formally a lot.

I walk in front of him to lead him to my room upstairs. He follows behind me towards my room.

We stop in front of my door and I open it and gesture him to go in first, he does. He walks in and looks around my room. He's nosy.

"Nice poster," he says looking up.

"Justin Bieber will always be number one," I say shrugging picking up a box. "Come on blondie, get a move on. As you can see there's a lot of boxes."

He picks up a box and says, "Well, let's get going."

He walks out of the room first and follows behind him. I like this guy. Well, when he's not being a traitor.

~~

I put the final box into the truck and wipe my hands on my pants. We finished putting the one million boxes into the trunk, like Mr. Traitor over here like to say.

"I'm going to grab my backpack from upstairs and that will be it," I say turning around and looking at him already with a backpack in his hand. My backpack was in his hand.

Guess he beat me to it.

"Never mind."

I grab the bag from his hands and swing it over my shoulder. He walks to the other side of the car to the driver's seat. Well, I guess we're leaving. I start walking to the passenger's side of the car and before I open it, I turn around looking at the house.

Well, see you later, house. Dad.

I take the bag off of my shoulder and sit on the floor of the car, and I sit down in the car. He starts up the car and I put my seatbelt on.

"So, how far is this place?" I ask looking at him.

"Half an hour," he says starting to back up to make a U-turn.

"Gives me enough time to sleep," I get comfortable and lay my head against my arm on the car door. After lifting those boxes I'm going to need some type of rest. My mind slowly starts drifting away into darkness.

~~

I'm being lightly shaken causing me to wake up.

"We're here," Lincoln says getting out of the car.

I shake my head a little to wake myself up a little more and I grab the bag from the floor and I unbuckle myself. I step out of the car and lookup.

Ouch, my eyes. That hurt. I put my hand over my eyes to create shade.

This building is tall, but not too tall. Nice medium-tall building. I see Lincoln from the corner of my eyes walking ahead of me.

"What about the boxes in the trunk?" I asked catching up to him.

"Someone will come and get them," he opens the door that leads inside to the building. I walk in and look around. It's all black in here with gold accents. I think I already love this place.

Lincoln comes from behind me causing me to follow after him. He gives the lady at the front desk a small wave and she gives a small smile. I wave at her and she doesn't wave back.

Bitch.

We stop at the elevator and he presses the top button, causing the doors to open. He steps inside and once again I follow him.

I feel like a lost puppy behind him.

"Wait! Hold it!" yells the Anonymous voice sticking their hand between closing doors.

The doors open and I'm met yet another blondie. I think this place might have a thing for blondes.

"My man! Lincoln! and?" he says pointing at me.

"Analia."

"That's a beautiful name, for a beautiful woman," he says grabbing my hand and giving it a small kiss.

"I'm Giovanni, but my friends call me Gio" he releases my hand and continues, "We're friends now, so you can call me Gio."

"Nice to meet you, Gio."

"Leave the girl alone, Gio," Lincoln finally speaks.

"Is this the girl that we were told about that was gonna be joining us?" he asks looking at Lincoln now with a big smile.

"Yes, she is. So leave her alone before you already annoy her." Gio gives Lincoln a thumbs up and stands next to me. The doors finally close and the elevator starts moving up.

"Where are all of the guys?" Lincoln asks Gio.

There's more?

"They should be in my apartment. I went out to get some chocolate," he says pulling the chocolate out from his pocket. "Want some?" he offers me.

"I'm good, thank you," I say giving him a small smile.

The elevator finally stops and the doors open. "Ladies first," Gio moves to the side sticking his arm out gesturing me to go first.

I walk out of the elevator and stop cause I don't know where to go.

"You too, Lincoln," Gio says laughing until Lincoln jabs him in the stomach with his elbow and walks out.

"Seriously dude?" I laugh at Gio's pain and follow Lincoln. This floor has five doors. Two on the right side and three on the left.

We end up going to the left side to the door right in the middle. Guess this is Giovanni's apartment. Lincoln opens the door and walks straight in but before he could walk in Gio runs in front of him.

"I'm back and this time I brought back a special gift," he says walking in and turning back, sticking his hand out gesturing for me to stop from coming inside.

"Did you bring back another chipmunk from outside? We told you to stop doing that," says a voice from inside.

"No, I did not bring another chipmunk. That was one time," he says trying to justify himself. "This one is better and cuter."

"Come on in Analia."

Lincoln opens the door for me and I walk in.

All eyes meet on me. Beautiful eyes. These men are going to be the death of me.

"Hey, hey don't stare too long," Gio says standing in front of me. I laugh and move out from behind him. I wave at them and one of them waves back he also has blonde hair expect his eyes are brown. Told you this place had a thing for blondes. Another one of the guys has chocolate-like colored skin and doesn't meet my eyes. He just gives a small nod. The other one with caramel-colored skin doesn't look up either and just stares at his feet. Okay.

Then there's him.

He has dark-colored hair, like mine, and hazel-colored eyes. He has fair/tan-colored skin. You can tell in the summer he gains a little color but in winter it slowly fades away. His hazel-colored eyes meet mine and for a second I get lost in them. Goddamn. This dude is beyond beautiful. No words to explain it.

Did I mention how good-looking he is?

Well, I'll say it again.

This man is beautiful & hot.

He stands up from the couch he was once sitting on and walks up to me.

"Ryder," Is all he says and sticks his hand out for me to shake. The anonymous voice that came from inside, matched him. I shake his hand and say "Analia".

I think, wait no.

I know I'll love it here.