Pigalle Palace by Niyah Moore Page B

this.”
    â€œYou don’t think you’re ready for what?”
    â€œIs there a way to turn me back human?” She took off her wedding ring and placed it in my hand.
    I stared down at the ring, feeling very confused. I scowled deeply. “This is not a game, Chantal. This is irreversible. I thought this was something you wanted.”
    â€œI can’t do this anymore. I’m going back to Chicago.”
    Seemed like her mind was made up. There was no point in arguing with her.
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œTomorrow night.”
    â€œYou do know that the life you used to know is no more, right? No one there will understand the change in you. Vampires aren’t accepted like that over there, and you will find that you will startto hate them. You might even kill a few of them. See, Pigalle Palace isn’t just a place of erotic indiscretion. It’s our home. The only place we can be safe in.”
    Chantal shrugged. “I don’t care. I want to go home. I don’t belong here.”
    â€œSo, you don’t plan on coming back?”
    Her eyes became vacant, empty, and she seemed to space out. “…No.”
    I chewed on the inside of my jaw to contain the sadness my heart instantly felt. “I see you gave this some thought?”
    â€œOf course I did. I jumped into this head first without much thought about my life back at home. I can’t stop thinking about home.”
    I went inside, poured some Brandy in a glass from the bar, and placed her ring on the countertop.
    â€œThank you for everything you’ve done for me,” she said as she came inside.
    My mind felt caught in a whirlwind as I tried to find a trace of sadness or any tears in her eyes. Nothing told me she really wanted to be with me. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and prepared myself for the breakup.
    â€œGo ahead and leave. Make sure that you leave everything that belongs to me here.”
    She fluttered her eyelashes and frowned as if to ask how I could be so cold all of a sudden. She took out the card from her purse and placed it on the bar next to the ring, looking at me in a way I didn’t recognize. What’d she think? I wasn’t going to let her still have access to my money while she was away.
    â€œI was hoping I could still use this for a few more weeks, to help me get another place and what not once I get home.”
    I cocked my head to the right slightly and stared at her. She was crazy. “Why would I let you do that?” I picked up the card and waved it in front of her face. “You do have money to get you home without me, right?”
    â€œDon’t, Legend...”
    â€œWhy not leave right now? Why wait until tomorrow?”
    â€œYou want me to leave right now?”
    â€œWhy not? Since you’re so unhappy.”
    â€œSo, you’re going to be a jackass about this and put me out?”
    â€œI think you should leave right now before I lose my cool with you.”
    â€œI still have another twenty-four hours…”
    â€œI’m not giving you twenty-four hours. I want you to leave right now. Do you need some money to go to a hostel?” I drank and poured more.
    â€œA hostel? Are you serious? You can’t be serious.”
    â€œOh, I’m dead serious.”
    â€œDon’t play games right now.”
    â€œYou don’t play games. You pull this insane antic on me after I made a very serious commitment to you and you expect me to be nice about it. Trust me when I say that this was a big mistake.”
    â€œSo, this is now the Legend show. Well, let me be the one to break it to you, baby. This is about me, too. …I’ll go ahead and leave right now.” She turned to walk away.
    â€œHey, I don’t beg women to stay. I can get any woman I want.”
    She spun around quickly. “Then go get her.”
    After I grabbed the ring and the debit card, I stormed off to my bedroom. I placed them on the dresser in