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The desperation in her eyes when she looked up made my heart clench. I fisted my hands at my sides with the effort to not invade her space again and kiss that look away.
“I won’t break you, and I’m not letting you go. I don’t want anyone else. You deserve more than life’s given you.”
Her snort stopped me, her brow quirking as her lips twisted. The rain dripping off her nose lessened the effect she was going for, but I waited for what she was going to say.
“I don’t need a knight in shining armor to ride in and save me, Leo. You can’t fix my life. You can’t bring back my dad, or make my mother better, even if you could take care of the financial issues.”
I didn’t resist the urge to go to her again. The space between us felt wrong, and I needed to have her against me so I could make her feel better.
My fingers slid into her wet hair before she could react, arm clamped around her so she couldn’t pull away. Her gaze was as hungry as her expression was stubborn, and I couldn’t help feeling like I had won a small battle.
“Good thing I’m not a knight, then. I may not be able to do the first two, but I can make life easier for you.”
“I don’t want any more debts, Leo. Or one-night stands. I have enough to deal with already, I can’t take mind games. I’m not going to accept whatever deal you want to offer me, no matter how enticing you think it is.”
Smiling down at her, a new plan unfurled. One that would bring her to me, whether she liked it or not.
“Fine. I’ll let you negotiate our next bargain. But not right now.”
Releasing her, I forced myself back towards my car. I could see the confusion on her face, and it only made my grin grow wider.
She was going to have a fit over what I planned to do, and she’d have no choice but to come to me for a way to pay it back.
Chapter Five
Cadence
Icame awake with a jolt, the sun glaring through my window once again. I could tell it was later than usual by the angle of it, and I groaned as I ran a hand down my face.
I didn’t have to be at the diner until two, but I needed to figure out what to do about the car. It would have to be towed to a mechanic, but I winced at how much it was going to cost. It was going to put us behind on other bills again.
Sighing, I got up and pulled on a T-shirt and jeans. My brain chasing itself in circles had kept me up for hours after Leo left, and I was too tired to want to deal with anything. The fact that school was out for the summer and my brother wouldn’t need the car on Monday made me want to ignore the issue for another day, but I couldn’t risk it getting towed by the city.
Making my way downstairs, I heard Momma muttering to herself before I even reached the kitchen. She only muttered on bad days, so I braced myself before stepping through the doorway.
“Hello, Momma. Sleep well?”
Momma’s brows pulled together as she looked at me, lips moving in silence until she shook her head.
“Sleep? I can’t go to sleep yet. I still have to do these dishes and give your brother a bath.”
She turned back to the sink, taking dishes from the rack to wash before putting them back. She didn’t notice she washed the same glass four times before moving on to a plate, nor that she was rubbing at her chest so much her skin was red even above the collar of her shirt.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I pulled a box of cereal from the cabinet. Momma glanced back at me, tutting as I filled my bowl.
“You should have eaten more of your dinner. Sugar before bed isn’t good for you.”
I gave her a shaky smile and nodded in acknowledgement. Momma returned to her task as I sat and ate, Momma humming an old tune under her breath until Michael came into the kitchen.
“Charles, I’m still not done with the dishes, could you give Michael a bath for me please? I don’t want him up too late. And stop blocking me, it makes my chest ache when I can’t feel you.”
My brother barely missed a step, walking over to peck Momma on the cheek.
“Sure, I’ll take care of it.”
The fact that it was so normal for her to get people and times mixed up that neither of us flinched made my throat close around the food I was trying to swallow. The episodes where she got lost in memories were increasing, though there were few truly bad days anymore where she was screaming in pain, trying to claw through her chest. The new medicine helped Momma stay calm and relaxed, but the cost of it was another source of stress. I hated having to choose between Momma’s medicines and food, though it was never really a choice. Michael and I had gone without when there wasn’t enough for both.
My mind jumped back to Leo, but I forced myself to shove the thoughts away. That had been a different situation, and I was determined not to sell myself just because it was easier. What I had already done made us even with Leo’s father, and I couldn’t say I regretted it, but once was more than enough.
