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Mr. Harlow stops us before we get too far. He gives his daughter a knowing look.
“I hope the makeup cameafterthe studying,” he says with mock suspicion.
Olivia rolls her eyes. “The makeup was a reward for myself to finally getting some practice problems right. Felicia was super helpful and I thought we both deserved a treat.”
“Really? That’s good to hear.” He turns to me. “Was she a good student?”
“Dad! I’m right here!” Olivia protests.
“She was great,” I answer honestly, feeling shy beneath his gaze. “She just needed a confidence boost. And different explanation.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ll walk you out.”
When we’re at the door, he pulls an envelope out of his pocket, opens it, and counts out the cash inside for me before slipping it back into the envelope and holding it out.
My brow furrows.
“Um, sir, it’s supposed to be only seventy,” I say as I take the envelope from him. I start to fish the cash back out to give back the extra. “I think I can give you change, let me—”
He stops me. “Keep it. Please. You had to travel, consider the extra for that.”
I look up at him, feeling my face heat underneath Olivia’s carefully applied makeup. “Mr. Harlow—”
“Felicia, call me Brock. And if you’d rather, think of it as a bonus for doing a good job. It’s the first time I’ve seen Olivia actuallyhappyafter a tutoring session.”
I glance between him and the cash. The deal was for seventy dollars, and I didn’t really do anything differently for her than I’d do for someone else. But … the extra thirty would be really helpful. Against my better judgment, I nod at him and swallow my emotions as I tuck the envelope into my bag.
Suddenly, Olivia calls to us from the kitchen. “Wait! Can Felicia come back tomorrow for another study session? That test is on Monday and I want to make sure I’m really ready.”
Mr. Harlow looks at me with a raised eyebrow, as if giving me permission to answer yes. I don’t work tomorrow night, so …
“I can do that,” I nod. “Is that okay?”
When he says yes, Olivia cheers and rushes over to squeeze me with an excited hug. I’m glad she’s excited, because if I’m being honest, I’m excited to. I get to make a little extra cash and hang out with her again. On top of that, I get to see my secret crush again. What is there to lose?
What I didn’t know that day is that Olivia and I would quickly become inseparable. After years spent feeling like a lonely outcast because of my financial situation, I now had a best friend. She was my support system, and I was hers.
At the time, I figured I’d grow out of my crush on Brock Harlow eventually. I thought that I’d find out he was some tyrant parent or that he was as irresponsible as my own father in some way. The silly little crush I’d nursed until then couldn’t possibly stand the test of time, right?
I couldn’t have been more wrong if I tried.
Chapter 1
Brock
Five years later …
When I finally leave the airport, I’m exhausted.
I was in London for business, and while everything went exactly to plan, the travel always takes it out of me. The lucrative acquisition is worth it, though. The company I just bought on behalf of my own business is a perfect fit for the plans I have for the future, and well, the financial benefit means we’ll all get to grow over the next few years as well. Digital security is a booming industry and it’s only going to get more profitable from here.
Security isn’t my first love, but it pays the bills and more. I got started developing social media algorithms, but security has been a lot more stable, even with the changes in technology. Getting into programming for security is what allowed me to pay for my home, after all. I’ve got the head and business sense for it, and the industry has rewarded me handsomely for staying ahead of the game.
As exciting as my work can be, I’m glad to be back home. I grew up in this city, fell in love here, raised my kid in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. Even though I was born into comfort, NewYork has a habit of keeping you on your toes. I’ve had to work my ass off to get where I am and I’ve relished every single challenge that’s come my way. Even though I’m into my early forties, I don’t feel the need to slow down at all.
Not that the city would ever let me—that’s why I love it here so much.
As I step into the car I had my assistant order for me, I find myself thinking about my legacy. I got married young—which proved to be a mistake, but we can’t have it all, I suppose. Fresh out of college, Caroline and I decided to go for it, and soon after, we had Olivia. She’s in her first year of college already. Perhaps I should be more worried about her—she does have more than a little bit of her mother’s wild side in her—but at heart, she’s a good kid.
