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“You’re lying. You haven’t stopped obsessing about it since Gareth left. What’s eating at you? Is it the money?”
She flinches slightly, moving away from me. “It’s not the money.”
“I can have the money removed from the language if that’s bothering you so much.”
“No, I don’t mind the money, it’s not the money.” She shifts from side to side, looking annoyed.
“Then why are you acting like I tried to steal your kidneys?”
She cracks a smile, but quickly stifles it. “I don’t want to have this conversation.”
“Is that going to be our dynamic? You hold everything inside until one night I wake up to find you standing over me with a knife?”
“Don’t assume it’ll happen at night. I can easily snap in the middle of the day.”
“Good point.” I put a hand on her thigh. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She stares at my hand. I watch the wheels churning. Finally, she looks up, meeting my eyes. “You don’t have to take care of me. That isn’t your job.”
I raise my eyebrows, surprised. “That’s what’s digging at you?”
She brushes my hand away, turning toward me. Our knees touch briefly. “You said the money was to make sure I never wanted for anything. That’s the problem though, isn’t it? I refused to take Ash’s investment because I wanted to run this donut shop all on my own effort. Then I accepted this insane proposal, mostly because I didn’t see any other choice. Now it’s like, suddenly you’re just throwing money at me, and I’ll never have to worry about anything, never have to work hard—and that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to avoid from the start. Iwantto worry. I want to work hard, and fail, or succeed on my own merits.”
I lean back, studying her. I didn’t expect my offer to elicit this response, but now that she’s laying it out, I can almost understand where she’s coming from.
“You can’t expect me to simply let you go,” I say, keeping my voice as level as I can. “That’s not the kind of man I am.”
“No, you’re much more controlling than that.”
My jaw ticks. “I think of it as protective.”
“You’ve done nothing but maneuver me into doing whatever you want since the night I met you. Tell me how that’s not controlling?”
She has a point. “I’ve done this for your own good.”
“Formyown good?” She laughs sharply. “Come on, Nolan, that’s bullshit.”
“As much as you think I’m some monster trying to devour you—”
“And you are,” she says.
“—Iamthinking about your needs, too. That’s why there’s money for you even if you decide to leave this relationship at the end of five months. That’s why you have a blank check while we’re together. That’s why you retain everything, from clothes to jewelry to whatever else. You want a house in five months? Buy one now. You want a yacht? Go ahead, I won’t stop you. Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
She sits silently, not looking at me anymore, hands in fists, seething. I don’t know what I said to piss her off so much but she’s shaking her head slowly like she’s about to explode. “You don’t get it.”
“Obviously not. Go ahead and explain.”
“You’re going to think I’m an idiot.” She glares at me. “What sort of personwouldn’twant all this? Anyone in their right mind would be throwing themselves at your offer.”
“But you don’t. You’re not in your right mind.”
“I want tochooseit. I don’t want to be forced.”
“You’re not being forced.”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t do that. Don’t pretend like I’m an idiot.”
“If you want out—”
