As soon as I walked in, the largest space greeted me. It was lit by a giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and straight ahead of me was a double staircase. I was almost convinced that I’d open a door and find a library straight out of a Disney movie.
I was truly speechless. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve been upset that she had hidden this from me, and I was more confused as to… how?! Math wasn’t my strong suit, but I was pretty sure bookstore owners didn’t make millions. Apparently, I didn’t know jack shit, because there I was in basically a mini version of the White House.
She led me to a living room that looked bigger than the bookstore. She sat on a tan couch and motioned for me to sit next to her, which I obliged.
“The house was a gift,” she started, and my eyes nearly fell out of my head.
“I’m sorry… a gift?!” Who the hell gave someone a mansion the size of the White House as a gift?!
She nodded. “When I moved here, my parents didn’t want me staying with friends or in some strange hotel. They wanted me to be comfortable and have my own space.”
“Naturally.” I nodded, as if I had a fucking clue how to relate.
She sighed. “My father was a cybersecurity expert in the military. And my mother is the CEO of my grandparents’ jewelry company.
“So you’re like super rich? Richy Rich! No, wait! Regina Rich!”
She chuckled and kissed my cheek. “I inherited the money when I turned twenty-three. I purchased the bookstore with the money, but I have worked my ass off to get it where it is now. I don’t flaunt my money. No one knows I live here besides my close friends, Skylar, and now you.”
“Wait… Kaia doesn’t know? She works for you. And what about Cara?”
She shook her head. “No, neither of them know. It took me almost two years of being with Skylar to bring her around and let her see all of me. I don’t want to be treated differently because of my family’s money, and it takes me a lot to trust someone enough to let them in. Fallon and Penelope are my family, and now Mackenzie is, of course, and while Kaia works for me, and I would consider usfriends, as well as Cara, I don’t know, I just…” She shook her head again, seemingly trying to shake whatever emotions were building up away.
It takes me a lot to trust someone enough to let them in…Her words kept replaying while she spoke. Her ex hadn’t known about this big part of her life until they were together for years, and here I was, someone she hadn’t even known that long, not really known, sitting on her couch while she opened up about an important part of herself she kept hidden from the world.
So many emotions were running through me. I had to fight hard to tamp down the tears that were so desperate to spill out.
“But why?” I asked softly. “Why keep this big part of your life hidden?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I… I don’t want someone to try and take advantage of me because they think I just have money to throw away. If I did, I wouldn’t need to do a signing to get people in the door. I try not to use my family’s money unless I absolutely need to. I don’t want to depend on them for anything. They’ve already given me so much, most of which I didn’t ask for and certainly don’t want. I want to make my own way in the world.”
“What did they give you that you don’t want?” I asked, unable to help myself. She was opening up to me, and I would get every drop of information I could. Any scrap of what made Drea tick I would collect and hoard forever.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Drea
Tonight was a night of firsts, not only for Blair and me together, but for me personally.I’d roped Mackenzie into helping me plan my first official date with Blair at the aquarium, which was a success.
It had been absolutely perfect, even with Houdini clit-blocking me. He was so adorable, and Blair fell in love with him, so he was forgiven.
And now I was sitting on my couch with her. Skylar was the only woman I had brought back to my house, and it took me over a year of being with her to do that.
Yet, I was sitting at home with Blair, completely comfortable and at peace. I couldn’t quite place it, but there was just something different about her. How I felt when I was with her, it wasn’t even worth comparing her to my previous… situations with women. None of them held a candle to her.
“What did they give you that you didn’t want?” Her question left a sharp pain in my chest. I hated talking about myself. I didn’t want anyone else to see how fucked up I was, especially since I was almost thirty.
I sighed, not wanting to talk about my family, but not wanting to ignore her question either. She had already buried herself this deep into my skin, and I would’ve given her anything she asked for.
“My parents are far from perfect, no matter how much they pretend to be. They were married for almost fifteen years before they divorced, proving to me and my three sisters that nothing is forever. I learned that lesson pretty early on, so I’ve kind of kept everyone at arm’s length.”
“But why? I mean, you have an amazing group of friends, and you’re doing well for yourself, so why hide so much of yourself from new people?”
She was so cute, and her genuine care for me made something in my chest soften. I had never felt this way about another person, platonic or otherwise. I never wanted to open my eyes and not see Blair smiling at me.
“I’ve found it to be a better solution than letting someone in only to inevitably be hurt in the end. My father taught me to never show weakness. Opening yourself up to vulnerability and the potential to be hurt is weak.” I shrugged, as if it were a normal fact that was spilling from my lips and not a fucked-up thing to tell a child.
She took my hands in hers and caressed them sweetly, calming the storm brewing inside me. “That’s dark, Dre. I’m sorry.” I didn’t hide my smile at hearing her call me Dre. It was the first time, and it sounded heavenly.
