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“My therapist said something similar. Our therapist, actually. We went in for couples counseling once but then I ended up going on my own until I left Derrick altogether.”
“Sounds like a good therapist,” Kace chuckles.
“Yeah. Saved my life.”
“You saved yourself, Amaya. Don’t ever sell yourself short,” he replies, taking a deep breath before stepping toward the center of the living room. Behind him, visible through the square window, is a bright red and pink sky dotted with yellowish clouds. “Listen, I apologize.”
“For stalking me?”
He nods once. “It doesn’t look good, I know.”
“But you had a solid reason. You trusted your instincts. No need to apologize, Kace. If anything, I should be the one to apologize. My mess of a personal life doesn’t concern you, and you are in no way responsible for my well-being.”
“I may have overstepped, though I don’t regret it. However, I cannot, for the life of me, sleep soundly while you’re living here knowing that punk has such easy access to you and your son.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Come stay at the estate. Long-term, I mean.”
My mind goes blank and I may have forgotten how to breathe. I am unable to move, and I cannot look away from Kace.
The way his blonde hair curls above his forehead, just like Mikey’s honey-colored locks. Those same blue eyes peering into my very essence, reading me as though I’m an open book. He knows. Or at least he suspects something. I certainly would, if I were him. I’d take one look at Mikey and demand a paternity test.
“Wait, what?” I manage, still staring at him.
“You can live on the estate for as long as you want. Free of charge. It’s part of the GS policy to offer our employees rent-free lodging if they need it, and I think you most certainly qualify,” Kace says.
“I don’t need handouts.”
“It’s not a hand out. You’re a GS employee,” he counters. “Besides, it would allow you to save up. I reckon you’d be able to buy a studio apartment in Sacramento within two years or so if you stay on the estate. Mikey has everything he needs there, and there’s a great school just north of us where he can go to kindergarten in the fall,” Kace adds. “We already have a shuttle service for the schools in town.”
I’m stunned into speechlessness so he continues.
Kace smiles broadly. “Here’s the thing, Amaya. Golden Sequoia Estate isn’t just some haven for the rich to hang out in. It’s meant to grow as a community, to evolve, to offer safety and a nurturing environment for everyone, kids too.”
“Kace, I don’t know.”
But I do know. He’s right. I’d be saving a fortune on rent and maintenance costs alone. Hell, with what they’re paying me, I could do better than a studio apartment in two years. I could spring for a two-bedroom on the good side of Sacramento in four.
“You won’t have anything to cover except your water bill, which is provided from an external supplier. The whole residential sector of the estate is solar-powered,” Kace says. “You’ve got everything you need in town, just two miles away. And like I said, Mikey will have access to a great school in the fall. Until then, he’s got the daycare, and I know you’re happy with how they’re looking after him. I hear he’s making tons of new friends.”
“My God, yes. And I should pay for that, as well,” I say.
“You don’t have to.” Kace pauses and closes his eyes for a moment, as if he’s trying to choose his words carefully. I have a feeling he is determined to convince me to do this—and not necessarily for any benefit of his, but rather mine. “Amaya, you’ve had a hard time. Single moms never have it easy. And don’t tell me you weren’t still a single mom while you were with that bozo, it’s obvious he wasn’t much help.”
“Yeah, it was supposed to be a partnership but it was anything but.”
“Good, so, we’re on the same page. It doesn’t have to be hard anymore,” Kace says. “I’m just trying to help you, to make it easier on you. You are, of course, free to say no. But I know you’d be better off, and so would Mikey.”
“He most definitely would.”
Knowing that is the only reason why I nod in agreement and ultimately decide to take this opportunity that Kace is giving me. I have questions and doubts aplenty, and he seems willing to address all of them, at least that’s what the smirk on his face tells me. “Go on, ask your questions,” he says.
“You’re doing this as my boss, right?”
“Only as your boss. No strings attached to this offer, you have my word,” Kace replies.
I believe him. I believe him because in my heart I know he’s being sincere. He’s always come across as honest, and he seems no different now. It’s as if I can read his intentions, more or less, like I know what he’s thinking. It’s refreshing and enticing.
