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“Fuck you,” I say halfheartedly.
“Money, Lake. I get money. Just like you if you do this with me.”
“Why do you need money?”
I mean, I highly doubt he’s short on cash. He might not be from one of those generational wealth families, but his mother is the CFO of a Fortune 500 company, so she’s doing pretty well for herself, and his father is a pretty well-known film producer, so again, not exactly lacking in cash.
“For shits and giggles,” he says, a spark of amusement in his eyes as he looks at me before he lets his gaze wander around the shabby diner kitchen once more. “Come on. Do you really want to stay here for the foreseeable future? Or do you want to go to school?”
I lick my lips. My throat is dry.
Hope picks itself up off the floor and dusts itself down.
Ryker sends me a knowing look.
Quirks his brow.
I try to gather a smidge of common sense.
There’s none to be found.
I drag my hand through my hair and let out a weak laugh. “That’s the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard.”
He sends me a grin that borders on smug.
“Those are the best kind.”
RYKER
“Why the fuck is this place named Pine Hill? There are no pines, and there are no hills. What gives?” Lake crosses his arms over his chest and glowers at the building before us. He’s been downright irritable ever since we got off the plane this morning.
I’m choosing to believe it’s wedding day jitters that are making him this way and not the thought of marrying me. Although, we’ve moved at lightning speed with this thing, so maybe it’s just whiplash. The let’s-get-married plan is exactly two weeks old right now, and as far as plans go, it’s a motherfucking terrible one.
I’m well aware.
But I don’t have any better ideas.
What I do have is a… soft spot.
It’s baffling for me.
And unwelcome for Lake.
Or it would be if he knew of its existence, I guess. I’m not stupid enough to let him know it’s there. Just like I’m not letting him know a number of other things about this deal of ours. Like whose money it actually is. Or that it’s not a loan. Or that I intend to give all the money in that trust to him eventually.
I just think there should be someone in Lake’s corner every now and then. And his family… To say the whole thing’s messy would be generous.
So am I going to tell him it’s John’s money that’s going to finance his education?
Fuck no.
He’d never take it if he knew. Even if he desperately needs it. Which he does. It’s probably safe to call the trust blood money at this point, and no matter what Lake thinks, he deserves to have it. So I’m going to make sure he will.
“This is the worst plan ever.” Lake still looks like he’s eaten something sour.
I sigh. “Cheer up. It looks like a nice town, and they do confidential same-day marriage licenses here, so we don’t have to worry about anybody finding out about this. We’re in, we’re out, we’re done.”
“Title of your sex tape,” Lake mutters without cracking a smile.
