Page 74 of What I Like About You

“I almost forgot it was a work trip for you.”

“Oh, don’t tell Antwan that—he’s ready to move here,” she laughed. “I can’t believe we leave tomorrow.”

“So don’t,” he suggested. He hoped that it came off sounding casual, rather than like he’d been tossing the idea around in his head all day. He didn’t want to completely freak her out by making her think he’d planned out the rest of their life.

“What?”

“Don’t leave.”

“Don’t leave. And do what? Just stay at the Indigo Royal forever?”

“No…yes,” he fumbled. “Stay here with me. Let’s start our life together. We can get a little apartment downtown.”

“You’re insane!” she told him, brushing off his suggestion with a laugh.

“No, I’m not. Zara, hear me out,” he said, pulling her into his arms. He took a deep breath, wanting to make sure he got this right. She needed to know how serious he was about this, about her. “I’ve been thinking this through. We get an apartment in Charlotte Amalie, that way you can be close to the airport to do all the things you need to do, and I’ll still be close enough to the resort. You can work from anywhere. We can make this…us, a reality.”

“I can’t work from anywhere. I have a life, Tripp. And a big new opportunity with the Internet TV show. Did you forget about that?”

“No,” he admitted. He hadn’t forgotten about it—he’d just thought that being close to the airport would be enough.

“You could always come back to Atlanta,” she suggested softly.

Her words hit him like a bullet. Did she really just suggest that? After everything he’d shared with her this week and why he had left in the first place. Did she really think that he’d just turn around and go back? He left for a reason and left all that bullshit behind him.

“Atlanta?” he repeated, stepping back from their embrace. “You want me to move back to Atlanta? And just what the fuck would I do there, Zara?”

He knew his words came out harsh, but he couldn’t help it. His suggestion had been a wild one—he knew that. But hers? Hers was unthinkable.

“Anything you want! You’re young, smart, and the world is at your feet!”

“My life is here, Zara. I have built a life for myself, and I’m not going to give that up to go grovel to my father. I’m not going to let him think he can buy me. That just because he’s dangling a childhood dream in front of me that I will compromise what I stand for.”

“Stop being selfish for two minutes, would you? This has nothing to do with the team your dad bought. You don’t have to work for Southland Holdings. Hell, my dad would hire you, no problem, based on your degree and known work ethic alone.”

“So that’s what this is about,” he said, anger rushing through him.

“What?” she asked, her face tightening in reaction to the look of frustration he knew she could see on his face.

“You only want the Dalton with the money. This version of me is only good enough for a fling. I’m just the holiday hookup guy to you.”