“No.”
“Why not?”
“Fuck off.No,” I snap, but he doesn’t back down. He just sits there, expectantly.
“I need your help. Badly. You help me and I’ll help you. It’s a reasonable deal.”
“Carter, that’s a lot of money.”
“I know,” he says, nodding at me. “It’s fair. You’ll be saving my life, Red. It’s not like I’m doing it out of the goodness of my heart. It’s an exchange.”
A bit unbalanced to be an exchange, isn’t it?
“I don’t think you understand,” I murmur.
“I do,” he says. He places his hand over the rim of his own cup, looking earnest. “We can do this until the end of the year and revisit it then, but I think this is a deal that can significantly help us both. If you want to lay downsome ground rules, that’s another discussion, but that’s my offer. Each month where you’re my faux girlfriend, I’ll cover your dad’s bills.”
I can’t stop staring at him. My heart is hammering against my chest, my head reeling. I feel a bit off-kilter, like I actually might faint. My eyes are burning a bit too, but I’ll be damned if I cry in front of him two days in a row. He can’t just…offerme that, can he? That doesn’t happen in real life.
I have to act like a very famous, very handsome, andverydesired man’s girlfriend, and he is going to save my life in exchange? That deal is completely unfair. I reap way more benefits than he does, but he seems to understand that. He seems to have thought this through.
“I can’t accept that. I won’t.”
He stares at me. “Yes, you can.”
I don’t do handouts. I’ve never allowed myself to.
That’s what runs through my head. But I already know what he’ll say. It’s not a handout. It’s payment. It’s essentially a weird girlfriend-for-hire contract, where instead of paying me in cash, he’s bringing all of my upcoming medical bills to a zero balance.
A zero balance.
Which means I can actually start paying off the rest of them that have already piled up.
I haven’t had a single month where I haven’t owed thousands and thousands of dollars since I was twenty-three.
“Think about it, okay?” he says, offering me a gentle smile. “I know I just threw that at you out of nowhere. Take your time. You know my number, Red.”
He moves to stand and I just stare straight ahead. When he reaches my side, he hesitates for a beat and then places his hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle shake.
I reach up and do something that makes him freeze. Stillstaring straight ahead, I place my hand over his and give it a soft pat. I feel his gaze on my face, but I can’t meet his eyes. I’ll combust, I’m sure of it.
“Thanks for the coffee, Carter.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “Next time, try to keep it in the cup.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
carter
The gameagainst Buffalo was exhausting but invigorating. They brought the fucking heat tonight. We won. Obviously.
I’ve just finished my shower when I find an unexpected text waiting for me. The guys are shooting the shit after that win, but I’ve been checking my phone twenty-four-seven since I left that hospital, so finally seeing her name on the screen makes my adrenaline peak and takes every morsel of my attention.
Arden
Question. Is there ever a game when you aren’t hauled off to the penalty box at least once?
I smirk, surprised she watched at all. It was twice tonight, but who's counting? I stood over Gunner after I pummeled him to the ground, grinning down at him for having the balls to try and take me on. I hope she saw that.
