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Erick’s been carrying around this secret. He’s known for months that he was going to tell me soon. Dad broke the news first, lucky him, but I can only guess at the stress of it eating at the back of Erick’s mind. I feel sorry for him, though not too sorry, since he should’ve told me from the start. But if I’m honest with myself, if I really look closely at how it all went down, he was right to keep me in the dark.
“Who else knew?” I manage to ask once my tears slow.
“Ren. That’s it. Nobody else. Just me, Ren, and your father.”
“I’ll have to thank Ren then.”
“Don’t worry about it, I already gave him a nice bonus for all his hard work.”
I laugh and kiss him. It’s an ugly, sloppy, tear-filled kiss, but he doesn’t shy away.
“I love you,” I say.
“I love you too. More than anything.”
“Good. Because I think my father didn’t tell you everything.”
His eyebrows raise. “What did he do?”
“The partner you’ve been looking for doesn’t exist. My dad had the money hidden in a secret Swiss account all this time, and he gave it all to me.”
Erick says nothing. It’s hard to read his face. Half amusement, half frustration, but eventually he only grins and shakes his head. “That motherfucker.”
“I know.”
“It’s all there?”
“All but a million he kept for himself.”
“I’m sure he blew through that already.”
“I hope so.” I touch Erick’s face. “You’re not mad?”
“Not at all. Keep it. That money’s yours. It’s the last great haul of an old-school con man, a dead and dying breed. Your dad was a piece of shit, but I’ve got to admit some admiration.”
“Thank you.” I kiss him and press my forehead against his. “I guess that means I’m rich now.”
“You’ve been rich since the day I stole you.”
“Fair point.”
“What do we do now?”
I kiss him again. And again. “I was thinking I’d paint for a while. Get some emotions out. Do you mind?”
“Not at all. Do you mind if I watch?”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.” He kisses me softly.
I get to my feet and shuffle over to my canvas. It’s blank this time, prepared with white Gesso. He pulls his chair back and gets himself comfortable.
I pause only to look as he rolls up his sleeves.
My gorgeous man. My incredible husband.
Saving my father’s life—if only for a few months—is the greatest gift anyone could give to me. Erick went against his own interests to make it happen, and he did it because he loves me.
