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“I know. And to make matters worse, I had no idea. It isn’t any wonder Ace hates me. He and his brothers grew up in the Heights with nothing, and then James goes and gifts me a car and a check for college like it’s a store card for the Gap. What the hell was he thinking?”
“He probably wasn’t thinking. That man is completely smitten with your mom, and he adores you. It’s just money, and everyone knows James Jagger has plenty of that lying around.”
“Which is why none of it makes any sense,” I say, something about the whole thing bugging me. “James has all this money, the house, endless resources... and yet, he left his sister-in-law to fend for herself and raise three kids after her husband died? Why didn’t he help them?”
“I thought your mom told you he did try?”
“Yeah, but why didn’t he intervene?”
“Families are strange things, girl. I know that better than anyone. Perhaps he did try, and in the end he had no choice but to walk away?”
“Yeah, maybe.” But I still didn’t buy it. There was a piece of the puzzle still missing.
“Your boy will come around, and when he does, you can have crazy wild make up sex.”
“Hads!” Warmth spreads through me.
“Tell me you don’t want to?”
I press my lips together, fighting a smile. I do want that. Damn, I want it so much.
But first, Ace needs to come to his senses.
“Anything?” I ask, hopeful as I slide into Conner and Cole’s car.
Conner grimaces, and I have my answer.
“Well, has he said anything?”
“Just that he needs time.”
“Time, right,” I grumble.
“Listen, Remi, maybe it’s just time you accept that you and Ace are—“
“Con,” Cole warns.
“What, man? I don’t like seeing her waiting around for him like this. She deserves better.”
I flinch. I know he means it as a compliment, but I only hear another strike against his brother.
“You told him I didn’t accept the check, right?” I’d wanted to refuse the car too, but Mom begged me to see sense. It was just a car. I could get a part-time job to pay for the gas and insurance, and finally having my own set of wheels would be kind of cool.
In the end, we’d compromised. At the weekend, James is taking me to exchange the brand new Audi for something less flashy and more economical.
“See, bro, I told you.” Conner and Cole are having their own conversation.
“You told him what?”
Conner meets my confused stare in the rear-view mirror. “You’re in too deep with Ace.”
“I am not—“
“Listen to yourself.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “You turned down a check for college, Remi. That’s some messed-up shit.”
“It isn’t... I wasn’t expecting that from James. If I wanted someone to pay my way, I’d take my dad’s money.”
“But that’s just it.” He slams his hand against the steering wheel, startling me. “You’ve got options. You have a line of people trying to help you. And you’re throwing it all away and for what, a future with my brother? I hate to break it to you, but you’re kidding yourself. Girls like you don’t end up with guys like us.”
