Amara's POV

Desperation to fill my deprived lung with air was strong. It drove me. No I was not desperate for luxury, fancy dress and a sparkling car. I was desperate for a loving parents, 8 hour of sleep, the smile on my friend. There was nothing like desperation that kept the sense of focus. Some say desperate people were the most dangerous as they would do anything to gain things. I couldn't agree less. You either need inspiration or desperation to pull through.

The sweat that soaked my shirt was the corroboration of my ardent workout. The sour smell was concomitant of that. I could feel the steam coming out of me and I tried to release as much tension before I was pushed into my daily regime which itself was continuous run.

After 15 minutes of pure torture, I slowed down the treadmill and hopped off.

"You look like a stray dog", Kade snorted besides me. If I had enough strength, I would've atleast showed him a birdie but to be dramatic, I couldn't move a cell on my body.

I chugged down bottle of water he threw at me and sat next to me on the table.

"What's going on?", Kade raised his eyebrows at me. I loved him but hated him everytime he read me.

I looked at his jade eyes contemplating with my choices. After a moment, I sighed and let my shoulders droop. I didn't want to repeat it every single time. My mind was drifting to dark places lately and my coping mechanism sucks.

"Just the usual", I shrugged packing my bag. He held my wrist with concern in his eyes. Also, I hated that he never let me off hook easily. Cons of being his only friend.

"I can handle it, Bella". His hands stroked my head. I let out a breathe and leaned into his touch and closed my eyes. The moment darkness engulfed me my life was playing infront of me. How my mom left me behind with my amputated dad and how I saw him cry that night repeating that he wasn't enough for her. I saw him broke for once and let me tell you, that man was a stone.

The aftermath mostly was upon me. The financial burden to carry the two of us was suddenly on me and I still had one year of college left. I wouldn't say we were poor who couldn't afford to tend the basic things for survival but taking medical bills of my dad just wasn't enough.

My mom worked in a law firm and made good money until she decided to elope with god knows who. I was fucking 18 and I had to find a job to support us.

My dad was disappointed in him to see me working shifts one after another but his pension did little to nothing. When I bought up that I would have to stop college, he never hesitated a second to reject the idea. He wanted me to graduate and have a proper work. The counselling went on for an hour until I was fully convinced that it was just passing phase and we could overcome this when I graduated.

"You can't handle shit, oddball", I hit lightly at his shoulders while we walked out of the gym.

He snickered at my nickname which by me was true. While we all were brunette he was the only blonde. We walked to his car and he opened the backdoor to throw our bags.

"You know my house is down the street, right?"

"You know I am never going to walk you home right?", I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. I could very well walk to my apartment, alone. But he was persistent on accompanying me and that wasn't by walking with me. So, I was forced to travel this long distance of 1000 meters in his car while he blasted whatever bullshit song that came on radio.

"You know you are the reason I don't have boyfriend?", he screeched stopped his car infront of my building. He gasped and looked at me with a devious smirk.

"Don't you say that , woman. You not having a boyfriend isn't my mistake. Actually, it's yours, no offense", he clicked open his door and dragged the bags out.

I waited till he punched the code to the door and pushed to waltz inside. I didn't talk until we entered the elevator.

"Yeah, try asking out a girl who has a hulk tagged along and scaring the shit out of everybody", I retorted.

We both stepped out in the fifth floor and walked along the corridor.

"Oh, pleeeaase, I am not with you always. Don't blame it on me.", he rolled his eyes like a mean girl which was a little weird coming from a well built guy.

I juggled with my keys and inserted them into the lock and clicked it opened. I opened the door wide enough for him to walk through.

"Whatever", I deadpanned as I closed the door.

"Hey, Alpha", Kade exclaimed when he saw my dad came out of his room. My dad's eyes light up when he saw him. He liked Kade as he felt he was only one who had the audacity to walk home with his lovely daughter and call him whatever that came to his mind. The subtle dimples were visible on my dad's face when Kade started vomiting about something.

He never stops talking

I went to my room and changed into a baggy T-shirt and a knee length shorts and tied my hair into a messy bun. When I walked out of the room, both of them stopped talking. I knew it was because of me but not because how I was dressed but because of my presence.

I rose my eyebrows in accusing manner and eyed both males in the house.

"That's why you don't have a boyfriend", Kade wiggled his finger up and down by body. I rolled my eyes and walked towards dishes not before flipping his favorite finger.

I hated doing dishes. Literally, dread came over me whenever I thought of doing dishes. I put on the gloves and separated the plates. The workout did some good to me. My mind was focused on the soreness in my body rather than those in my life. My hands sped up whenever bad things come to mind and I almost the tore the gloves while scrubbing the pan.

"How's your mom?", I could hear my dad's feeble voice carried to the kitchen. After a stretched silence, Kade whispered something that I couldn't quite get. I put the plates slowly and walked closer to them.

"..I am just scared. I don't know what to do and the loan is piling up". My heart squeezed while thinking about something happening to Marie.

Maire was our neighbor since I've known. As years went by she was became my mother. She was there when I need a woman in my life. I've talked to her about my darkest secrets and the insecurities I faced and she would always hug me and said that everything would be okay. She let me cry on her shoulder, she fed me and did my hair during my prom. Sometimes Kade became jealous of our relationship.

"It'll be alright. I am sorry that I am not much of help to you.", my dad voiced his worry.

"No. I am relieved and happy that you are with me to listen to me. It would be disaster if I tried talking to my drunkard of a dad"

"That makes me more angry. You shouldn't face this now. I have to standup next to you and handle it", I could imagine the look on my dad. He would be looking down with his creased eyebrows.

"It's just money. I can arrange it". He definitely can't. He was my friend but I knew him. He couldn't process the job and the only job that fit him was a mechanic because he was damn good in it.

"It's a lot", my dad said.

"I know but I can.."

"How much is it?", I interrupted him not guilty about evesdropping.

Both the heads turned towards me, a bit shocked which in my opinion was uncalled because the house was small to hear the traffic outside.

"I can handle it, Am", Kade stood up and moved towards me.

"Just tell me how much is it, Kade. Marie is like my mother and you can't just get rid of me. Two is better than one."

He pulled me into a hug. My vision blurred in sorrow. He patted my head and whispered words to calm me down.

"Just tell me. It'll eat me if something happens to Marie", I sighed hugging him. He took a sharp breathe at my words. Marie was the only active parent for him. His drunkard dad was more like dead to him. We thought he would change after learning about his wife's cancer and take charge but he chose to ignore that he had a family. He sold all her jewelry for his junk and now she was suffering to complete her chemo.

"$60000", he croaked up.