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“Tell me why Headmaster Greene told me you were trouble.”
“What?” She cocked her head at me.
“When we met, he told me you weren’t someone I wanted to associate myself with. Any idea why?”
She shook in her head. “I’ve been known to be a bit stubborn, and I think the word spitfire was thrown around by some teachers in high school. I skipped classes, went to parties… I was a bad girl I guess. Especially for Hullen. I was also a scholarship kid. I didn’t have money like a lot of the kids there. So they had to pay more attention to me. But what a shit thing for him to say. I didn’t do anything illegal. And the nonprofit I work for? Helps disadvantaged teens, like I was. Kids looking for purpose. I chose that job specifically.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Had the Headmaster really skewed my vision so much?
“Tobias,” Scarlet said, her voice cracking, “I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me. But just know that I honestly do care about you. I think about you nonstop, and I can’t even put into words how much it would mean to me to…To have something with you. To have something real. How I feel about you has never been faked.”
My heart pounded at her words. I stood from my chair and rounded the desk until I was mere inches away from her. Her eyes scanned my face, searching for my reaction.
“I’m sorry, Scarlet,” I said. “I shouldn’t have judged you so quickly. And I definitely shouldn’t have let Greene put doubts in my head. It’s just…This has all been so much for me.”
She nodded. “Yeah. It’s been a lot for me too.”
“I’ll tell you one thing though,” I said. “Nothing has ever made me happier than to hear that you want something with me.” I grinned. “Because that’s exactly how I feel too.”
A wobbly smile came to Scarlet’s face as I collected her in my arms.
CHAPTER 26
Scarlet
While I would have loved to stay in Tobias’s arms, I pulled back. I’d said what I needed to say, and it was time for me to go. At least now though, I could leave with my heart feeling significantly lighter.
As I drew back, Tobias stared at me, his expression somewhat surprised.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I really do have to get going. I should have been on my way home by now, but I couldn’t leave until I’d set things straight with you. So thank you for giving me a chance to explain.”
“Don’t leave,” Tobias said.
I shook my head again, knowing that I couldn’t afford to check into the hotel again. I’d been on a budget for this trip to Chicago, and I was strapped for cash. And in light of the misunderstanding I’d just had with Tobias, the last thing I wanted to do was ask him for money. My pride simply wouldn’t let me. “No, really Tobias, I have to go now.”
“Why?” he challenged.
I sighed and lowered my gaze to the floor. “I don’t have any place to stay. I…I can’t stay at that hotel any more…” I swallowed and turned away from him. “I don’t have enough…I can’t afford it right now.”
Tobias laughed. “You know that’s not really a problem, don’t you?”
“It is for me,” I said, glancing back at him. “I won’t take money from you unnecessarily.”
“You can stay with me. I have plenty of room.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“You won’t be imposing.”
“Yes, I would,” I said. I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling chilled. I hated this feeling, of not having, or not being, enough.
“Scarlet,” Tobias said, moving toward me again, “we’re about to start a family together. What’s mine is yours now.”
I shivered, not quite understanding why I was feeling so defensive and uncomfortable all of a sudden. I had come to his office with the sole purpose of making him believe me and understand that I wasn’t trying to use him for his money. Yet, now that I had succeeded in doing so, I was getting cold feet
about our potential future together. On some level, I knew this was ridiculous. On the other hand, I wanted to prove that I was my own woman and that I could take care of myself.
“Okay, if you won’t stay with me, then let me pay for your hotel stay. I’d like to take you out to dinner tonight, if it’s all right. I want to make things up to you,” Tobias said, interrupting my thoughts.
