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“Our ticket out?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Out of what?”
“Of this!” he exclaimed, gesturing around. “We live in a one-bedroom house with little to no space. You and I are practically on top of one another.”
“Since when do you not like being on top of me?” I teased.
Jeff didn’t tease back. He simply continued. “Plus, we can put some of that money into my music career to really give me the jumpstart I need.”
I grimaced, uncertain if he was being serious. “It’s been a long day. I can’t really deal with you not being ironic right now. So, please, go ahead and tell me you’re kidding.”
He took the mug from my hand and set it on the countertop. “Think about it. Two million dollars would change our lives forever.”
I arched an eyebrow. Jeff wasn’t known for his detailed listening skills. “I said two hundred million, not two million.”
Just then, his eyeballs bugged out of his face. “What?! Holy shit, Stella!”
“I know. It makes me uneasy, too. Plus, with all the stocks and assets… it’s… a lot.”
“And it’s ours.”
“But I don’t want it. I just…” I sighed and crossed my arms. “I just want him back.”
“Well, that’s not really an option, sweetheart, so this is the next best thing. Think about it, Stella. Everything we ever wanted”—he snapped his fingers—“just like that. We’d be able to make all of our dreams come true in a blink of an eye.”
“And your girlfriend would have to marry a stranger. Or did you miss that part?”
“Yeah, yeah. So, I get that would be a bit strange, but the outcome is worth the sacrifice.”
“You’re willing to sacrifice your partner for money?”
He took my hands into his and gave me the sweetest smile. “Only for six months, baby. Then you’re all mine. It’s not like you would be screwing the guy, right?”
“What? No. Of course not. We would probably never even see one another. He’s kind of closed-off anyway.”
“That’s perfect. So, six months in, and then two-hundred-million dollars later, you’re back home with me. Then we can get married, and you can have the wedding of your dreams.”
“I don’t need a wedding of my dreams,” I told him. “The courthouse works just fine.”
“You are more than a courthouse wedding. I know you’re an independent woman, which is why we live here, instead of in a home Kevin offered to buy for you. But it’s okay to have help, Stella. You don’t have to be so hyper-independent. You do know that’s a sign of trauma, right?”
I laughed. “Did you take a psychology class or something?”
“No. I saw a TikTok about it. But it’s true. You feel like you have to control everything and not take handouts from Kevin. You’ve been like that since we met years ago.”
I shrugged. “He raised me when he didn’t have to. I don’t want anything that isn’t mine.”
“But you were his. He was a father to you, and you were his daughter. This is what happens in families. You pass down your inheritance to the next generation. At least that’s what I believe. You know I never really grew up with a family, outside of you.”
“I know… and you’re right. Plus, this being his final wish makes me feel as if maybe I should do it.”
“Yes, exactly. Think about how it would eat at you if you went against his final wishes. Then over time, you and I can start our own family and pass down the blessings to our children.”
He was really laying it on thick, that was for sure.
“Think of this as your favorite movie, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. You’re Charlie, and this is your golden ticket,” Jeff stated.
“Willy Wonka is your favorite movie.” I laughed.
“Yours, mine, potato, potahto. All I’m saying is, this is our golden ticket out of this world. So… take it. If not for me and you, do it for Kevin. It was his last wish.”
I felt a tug in my chest as he said those words. Even though the whole concept of marrying a stranger for money seemed bonkers, it was an opportunity to give Kevin what he wanted.
“I mean, I guess arranged marriage isn’t that odd. Plus, in so many of my favorite historical romance novels, that’s a leading theme,” I said, trying to make the concept seem less odd.
“Fuck yeah! There’s a whole genre about that kind of stuff. Plus, six months? That’s nothing. That’s like one semester of college without the student debt. I need you to go and pick up your phone, dial that number, and say yes to Dillon.”
“Damian.”
Jeff rolled his eyes and waved it off. “Whatever. It honestly doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you say ‘I do’ to him so you can later say ‘I do’ to me.”
This was insane. The whole concept of marrying Damian was something I did not think I’d even be considering when I woke up to attend Kevin’s funeral. The day took a drastic turn, and all I wanted to do was go to bed and then awaken to find that this was nothing more than an odd dream. To find out that Kevin was still alive and well, and that none of the heaviness of that said day had actually happened.
