The same way I was set on learning everything I could about her.
But I guess she didn’t trust me enough to share her diagnosis. To warn me our time was limited.
“Damn it.” My words bounce back to me off the stark industrial walls. I sink down to plant my ass on a step and bury my face in my hands.
There is not much in this world that can force tears out of me. Crying means vulnerability, and vulnerability means someone can hurt you.
I don’t let people hurt me.
But damn it, this hurts.
To find family and then to lose them, all in a single year.
And that stuffy, stick-up-his-ass lawyer thinks I don’t care?
“Fuck him,” I mutter.
The click and squeak of the heavy door to the stairwell opening has my head swinging up. I quickly swipe away the few tears that muscled their way out of my eyes. Dash lets the door swing shut behind him and joins me on the stairs, his long legs bending at a dramatic angle on the short perch.
“You okay?”
His gentle question has my chest tightening again, but I force myself to stifle the hurt. Of course, that only leaves the anger.
“It’s complete bullshit. I can’t believe she’d threaten to give all her money to Dad just to try to get me married.”
Dash adjusts his seat. “Not all her money.”
“What?”
“I got the same deal as you. Three hundred grand when I’m thirty if I’m married.”
I scoff. “Of course. Well, that’s easy enough for you to fulfill.”
Dash is all set to marry the love of his life in two months.
“Just don’t mess up with Paige, and you’re smooth sailing.” The truth of my words hits me, and a small spark of … not happiness exactly, but something like it brings a smile to my face. “That’ll be nice, huh? No more wealth imbalance between you and her.”
His fiancée’s family has way more money than we’ve ever hoped to see.
Dash shrugs. “I got over that a long time ago.” He drags his fingers through his already-messy hair. “I’d rather have Wai Po.”
The sober mood returns, and we fall silent, sitting together but working through our own grief.
“What are we going to tell Mom?” he asks after some time has passed.
Of course, Dash still considers her in all of this. His relationship with our mother has never been as toxic as mine.
“When was the last time you talked to her?” I ask.
He fidgets. “It’s been a while.”
“What’s a while?”
“A year.”
My head jerks back. “Really?”
Dash nods. “It was soon after we found Wai Po. I wanted Mom to meet Paige. I thought if things went well, I could tell Mom about our visit. I invited her to lunch. Just her. But she brought Dad.”
