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“Why not?”
“I’m not doing this.”
“Well, we’ve already started, and it seems that you haven’t died yet, so you might as well just finish telling me.”
Bella eyed Rick up. He was annoying as all hell and she knew he wasn’t going to leave her alone. “I- he had a lot of money, okay? That’s why.”
Rick’s mouth dropped open. “So, you dumped the guy because he was rich?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“Well, that’s hardly his fault.”
“We come from two different places. Or at least, we’d end up there. I’m not a good match for a guy like that.”
“A guy like what? He seemed decent enough. A little pansy ass at first, but he came around at the end. I didn’t mind him.”
“Glad he met your approval,” Bella said dryly.
Rick rolled his eyes. “He can’t help that he has money. Did he ever lord it over you? Ever say that he wanted you to be a certain way because of it? Ever give off the vibe that he expected you to turn into something that you’re not just to please him and fit in with whatever crowd he runs with and whatever lifestyle he leads?”
Bella wanted to sock Rick right in his fast moving mouth at the moment. Mostly because it felt like he’d just sucker-punched her, and she wanted so effing badly to retaliate that her fists itched. “No. He never said that.”
“Then why the hell would you dump him? You don’t want to be set for life? You don’t want to have nice things? You don’t want to have a little bit of security? I thought that’s what everyone wanted. I sure as hell wouldn’t mind being rich. If I found a sugar mama to take care of me, I wouldn’t be letting her go.”
“That’s disgusting.” Bella wrinkled her nose.
“You might think so, but I don’t see why having money is such a bad thing if the guy wasn’t an asshole. If he didn’t hold it over you or ask you to be something and someone that you’re not, then what’s the harm?”
“The harm is that he was engaged to my sister. She cheated on him. He found out on his wedding day. That’s the harm. My parents would kill me. His mom would kill him. Probably me too. It would look bad if our families found out. If anyone found out.”
“Well, you just told me, and god didn’t strike you dead.”
“I’m sure there’s still time for it to happen.” Bella glanced up like she really did expect a lightning bolt to blaze out of the sky and through the shop’s roof and fry her on the spot.
Rick blinked hard. “I don’t think the money was the real issue. Knowing you, and you’ve never actually seriously dated anyone in all the time I’ve known you and I asked Bryan and I know it’s true because he was here way before me and you were here before me, but he confirmed that you don’t do relationships at all for the most part-”
“That’s contradictory and I’m going to kill Bryan.”
“He was just trying to help. We all are.” Rick’s face softened and it was like a second blow straight to the squishy soft spot in Bella’s chest. “Maybe the real reason is that Mr. Fancy Pants Rich Turd got under your skin and that’s uncomfortable as fuck. The body’s first reaction is to expel foreign objects. Maybe that’s what you were trying to do. Keep yourself safe. Heal yourself.”
“Okay, those are really bad metaphors, and did you really say Turd at the end of that name you just gave Rhett?”
“Well I couldn’t actually remember his name, so I had to fill something in. Didn’t want to be too complimentary.”
“Thanks. Thanks for all the unsolicited advice. Did you ever consider that you’re in the wrong field? You should have been a shrink.”
“I actually do have a degree in Psychology.”
“Are you fucking serious?” Bella’s mouth dropped open.
“No.” Rick grinned at her. “Not at all. I just wanted to see your face when I said it.”
“You’re a real dumbass.”
“Don’t doubt it for a second. But maybe I’m right. I have been known to get a few things right in the course of my long, disappointing life. Don’t worry. You’re not the only one who has parents ashamed of you or who don’t understand you or who tell their friends that you actually are a janitor or some shit because that’s better than being a tattoo artist and people can’t look it up to see if they’re right.”
“They can do so. All they have to do is look up the shop or type your name in and it would come up I’m sure.”
“Yeah, well, my parent’s friends are old. They take them at their word.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“I never thought about what my parents tell their friends about me. Probably just that I’m a receptionist and a disappointment. They always wanted my sisters to marry well. They were perfectly fine with them using guys for money. My mom and dad didn’t have money when they married, but they did alright for themselves. They said they just wanted better for us girls, but I think really we’re just their retirement plan.”
