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“I spent seven years of my life regretting leaving you in that place. Seven years.
“I told myself it was okay because you were smart. Told myself that you’d earn a scholarship and go to college and live out your dreams. I told myself every day that you were better off without someone like me in your life. I could offer you everything and nothing. How could we build anything real on something so fake?”
“Blake, stop.”
“No, you need to hear this, Penny,” he said. “I thought you’d given up on us, so I chose this life. It was the easy way, the coward’s way, I guess. Get everything handed to me on a silver fucking platter, but at what cost? I love my aunt, and in a strange way, I love my uncle. They’re my family. They will always be family, but you’re my soul mate. I knew it all those years ago, and I know it now.
“Whether we have all the money in the world or have to live out of boxes eating leftover pizza out of the dumpster, I choose you, Penny Wilson. I will always choose you. My lucky Penny.”
I reached up and curled my hands around Blake’s neck, yanking him down to me.
Our mouths fused together, hungry and desperate, but it wasn’t enough.
I broke away; sitting up and shifting onto my knees, I crawled onto Blake’s lap, straddling him. He hadn’t yet removed his jacket, and I was still in my pink-striped pajamas, but it didn’t matter.
Because Blake was here.
I had everything I needed.
* * *
Blake wanted to go straight to his uncle’s, but I needed time to process everything.
It was all happening so quickly.
Besides, I had to work a lunch meeting in the University District, which was where I was currently headed.
I’d left Blake back at my apartment wrapped in my sheets. He wanted to lay low—to face his uncle together. So I gave him my key and told him to make himself at home.
I would only be gone three hours at the most.
The job was straightforward enough. Felicia and I served light refreshments to a team of designers working out of the Craven Building. After returning the service tray to the kitchen, we parted ways. I needed to pee before I left to catch the bus back to Clintonville. It felt a little strange knowing my apartment wasn’t empty—that Blake was there waiting for me.
I smiled at the thought.
The second I stepped out of the building, the icy air hit me, and I snuggled into my faux fur-lined parka. The blanket of snow that had fallen over the last couple of weeks had started to thaw, turning the sidewalk into a slushy mess. Not paying attention to anything but my cautious footsteps, I didn’t see the blonde whirlwind headed in my direction until it was too late.
My eyes widened as Brittany stormed over to me. The gray fur muff pinned her hair in place, giving her an air of perfection, but her eyes told a different story.
She looked unhinged.
Furious even.
“You,” she hissed, jabbing her finger at the air between us. “I told you to stay away from him.”
A couple of people passed, glancing back at us, and I shrunk further into my jacket.
Brittany reached me. She stood taller in her snow boots than I did. Glaring down at me, her eyes burned with hatred. “What could he possibly see in someone like you? Look at you. You’re nothing. Nothing.” Her voice cracked. “You’re the help, for Christ’s sake. What does he possibly see in you?”
“Brittany, I’m—”
“No,” she cut me off. “Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say you’re sorry. We were happy before you showed up. I could have made him happy. Blake belongs in my world with me. Not with some poor little orphan girl.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath, letting her insults roll off of me. Of course, some of it stuck. But she had a point. Somewhere in her wild, desperate ramblings, she was right.
Blake had everything at his feet… and I had nothing.
Aware that we were drawing a small crowd, I shuffled backward away from the door to the building. Brittany was clearly not finished and continued stalking forward.
