Itsy Bitsy Spider (Emma Frost #1) by Willow Rose Read Free Book Online Page B

classes
but wasn't sure there was enough interest on the island for that. Maybe she
could do something for the tourists? Lord knew there were enough of those to
keep her going for years. And they needed exercise while eating all that fried
fish down at the harbor. Maybe they would buy her DVD as well.
    Irene drank from her water bottle. She was out
of breath after the workout.
    Or maybe because you ended up
drinking that entire bottle of cherry wine last night.
    Irene coughed and sat down on a bench with her
towel around her shoulders. She wiped off the sweat from her face and pulled
off her pink sweat band. Her hair was soaked and her cheeks all blushed. It had
taken all of her strength to do the entire routine and she had a hard time
calming her heart down again.
    Don't give up now. Don't give
up on me old heart. I need you.
    The doctors at her last rehab center had told
her she needed to stop it, stop the fitness or it would end up killing her
eventually. In their opinion her heart had become too weak from the excessive
drinking throughout the years and it wouldn't be able to cope with too much
exercise or too much strain anymore. But Irene knew it wasn't the exercise that
stressed the old ticker and made it weak. It wasn't the drinking either. It was
that damn secret she was carrying, the one that had strained on her heart for
so many horrible years now. But she had done the right things afterwards even
if it was too late. She had turned her back on those people, even if it meant
she fell into disgrace among those who were important on the island. But it was
too late. Way too late before she finally stood up for herself. And that was
the sorrow she had to carry for the rest of her life. A sorrow and sadness so
deep it stressed her heart and she knew it would eventually wear it out. This
secret of hers would one day end up killing her.
    Irene sighed and got up on her feet. The heart
was calmer now even if her pulse still felt high. She took her towel and walked
towards the showers, where she could hear her ladies were just finishing off
and getting dressed. She opened the door and entered.
    "Nice job today, ladies," she said
putting on her old TV-smile, the one that made her famous all across the
country. The smile that was always the same no matter if she was doing push-ups
on the floor or jumping jacks. Or if she - like now - was in excruciating pain
from knowing her past would soon catch up on her one way or the other.
    "See you next Wednesday ladies," she
yelled at the women as they left one after the other.
    A few minutes later she was alone, her smile
still stuck on her like a mask for Halloween. Irene sighed deeply and sat down
again.
    "Poor baby," she mumbled and suddenly
longed desperately after a drink.
    Irene stared at the floor for a few minutes.
Suddenly she shrieked out loud. A black hairy spider was crawling towards her
on the bathroom tiles. Irene put a hand to her chest.
    "Gosh you gave me a shock. Nearly killed me
you stupid creature."
    Irene grabbed one of her shoes, then smashed it
onto the tiles killing the spider instantly.
    Strange creatures those
spiders , she thought and put the shoe away. Get in everywhere.
    She wiped the remains off with a paper towel and
threw it in the toilet. As she watched it flush down the drain, she thought she
heard steps behind her and turned with a gasp.
    I was right ,
she thought just before she was knocked out. It
was my past that was going to eventually kill me. I just didn't know it would
be this soon .

15
2012
    Her head felt
heavy as she opened her eyes. It was hurting badly
from the blow she had received in the bathroom. Now she was back in the gym,
and what was that? Oh gosh , she
thought. I can't ... I can't move!
    A face appeared in front of her. The eyes ...
the eyes were so familiar. She had seen him before but never up close. Oh my
God could it really be?
    Oh but you know it is, don't
you? You know who he is and you knew he was going to come for you one day.