“It’s too much,” she whispers, dark eyes searching mine as tears fall. She gasps a little bit, and her free hand goes to her chest. “I can’t. I can’t accept it.”
“It’s already done,” I tell her calmly. I reach up to cup her face. “Just breathe, Arden. You’re debt-free in this regard, alright? Please, just be okay with it.”
She shakes her head in my hands, her face crumbling. A big, heavy sob breaks through her. She falls forward, her armsscrambling for me, and I hoist her into my lap. She wraps herself around me, crying those big, heavy cries that she has kept in for way too long.
She can breathe a bit easier without this debt over her head. I tried to pay for the funeral expenses too, but was shot down. Her, her sisters, and her dad’s siblings all chipped in. The card I bought and put in the box will help a bit. I knew I couldn’t stuff it full of cash or Arden would kill me, but I gave them two thousand dollars to help.
She glared at me for that, too. It’s no wonder she freaked out aboutthis.
I strongly debated paying off her school loans for weeks. I saw the paperwork in her drawer and the interest made my stomach churn. But that’s a battle for another day. We agreed to her dad’s medical care, and now, all of her money won’t have to be funnelled there. She’ll have more freedom.
I run my hand down her back. “Don’t be mad at me.”
“I’m furious,” she mumbles into my neck, sniffling. “I’ll never be able to?—”
“You already repaid me by saving my job and my reputation,” I remind her, because again, she needs to see this as a transaction and not a handout. She doesn’t owe me shit. “I have money, okay? What I needed was a holy grail and you walked right into my life with that halo above your head.”
“It’s not the same.”
“It is,” I tell her calmly. “There are more important things than money, Red. You’ve repaid me tenfold already. It’s okay if you don’t like it, just don’t hate me for it.”
“I wish I could,” she mumbles. “Hate you.”
I breathe a laugh. “Good to hear.”
She pulls back, face wet with tears, hair a mess, and lips all puffy. She cups my face in her hands, chin wobbling.
“I’m extremely angry with you,” she whispers, and I nodwith understanding. “But I’ll accept this if you let me be mad about it for a while. Okay?”
I crack a soft smile. “Okay.”
Her tear-filled eyes search mine. “I want to kiss you so badly right now, but I’m a mess.”
“Ah,” I say, reaching up to bury my hand in her hair. “Give me every part of that mess.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
arden
Back home andin my own apartment, I slept for two days straight. Directly following, I went into workaholic mode. I think I needed to busy my brain, and as much as I can do that at Carter’s, sex isn’t numbing me enough anymore. I need to be reminded I’m not the only person in this world that is going through shit. Thankfully, I have the perfect job for that.
Serena and Anya are a bit lost without having to care for Dad. Anya and I mulled things over on my last night at home. We sat in the living room, huddled together, and talked about our childhood, about Mom, and about Dad. Tears were shed, and when I finally explained my feelings toward some of the darkest moments in my childhood, Anya reached over and took my hand. It’s an uphill battle, but I’ve always made every decision with them in mind, and that doesn’t stop just because Dad’s gone.
Carter has been an angel. He might be impulsive and easy to anger, but he has the most thorough and impressive emotional intelligence I have ever witnessed in a man. His parents did well with him. His heart is so big that it shouldn’twork properly. He’s made these past few months so much better, even in the worst of it.
And he took care of my sisters while he took care of me. Another debt I can never repay.
There are no more medical bills, but I’m not going anywhere. We haven’t discussed the deal again, but I’m not detaching myself from him if I can help it. This arrangement will continue until he doesn’t need me anymore, or until he chooses he doesn’t want me anymore. I am not going to be the one to bring it up or terminate it.
“I cannot believe that girl was a fraud.”
I glance at Whit, sipping my iced coffee. “Big one. She’s backed off, though. Carter’s lawyer is a wolf.”
Whit snorts. “Now that she’s gained half a million followers.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never noticed her atIceboxbefore,” Autumn adds. She’s scrolling through the article that just came out, one that points out every lie and fact-checks every claim. Lemmy apparently has some connections with some big media companies. Irina has been silent all across the internet.
“Me neither,” I say. It’s true. She’s very pretty. I was so certain I’d remember a face like hers. But I think part of Irina’s villainous powers is that she has this uncanny ability to blend into every setting. You see her, but you never reallyseeher.
