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Her mouth popped open in surprise, and her hand fluttered up to it. Her voice was hesitant when she began speaking again.
“How did she pass?”
“Heart attack.” The words hurt as they left me, and I could remember it all.
I had worked so hard, worked myself to the bone to try to repay even half of what she had given me throughout her lifetime.
And even with all the money that I’d amassed, with all the doctors and the medical care that I had access to, I hadn’t been able to stop her from dying.
“I’m sorry,” Nell said.
Her voice was hard like she was pissed, and my brow furrowed.
“Are you alright with me telling you all of this?”
A shocked look darted across her face. “Of course, I’m alright with it,” she hissed. “I’m just mad at myself for all those years of me busting your balls about being privileged and the worst kind of stereotype for a rich kid, and here I was, making an ass out of myself all along.”
“You didn’t know,” I began, but she quickly cut me off.
“I know. Because you didn’t tell me.” She narrowed her eyes at me, but there was no bite to her words.
We sat in silence for a few moments, me giving her all the time she needed to process what I had told her.
Finally, after what felt like ages but, in reality, was only a matter of seconds, Nell let out a deep, low sigh.
“I guess I understand,” she said hesitantly.
“You do?” I cocked my head in question, and she nodded.
“I saw how almost everyone else treated my friends, the others who were there on scholarship or weren’t from the upper echelon. I don’t blame you for wanting to keep yourself out of that.” She paused for a moment, chewing on the inside of her lip before asking, “Does Jourdan know.”
I nodded. “He’s known since about a year after we met.”
“Good,” she let out a sigh of what I could only assume was relief. “I’m glad he knows. And that he didn’t treat you any differently because of it.”
“He’s a much better man than you give him credit for.”
Nell looked sheepish at that, her eyes darting back up to the ceiling, where the Andromeda Galaxy was on full display above us.
“Thank you for telling me.” Her voice came out barely above a whisper, and I had to strain to hear her over the music. “And I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
I shifted on my side, reaching up one of my hands so I could gently stroke her arm. My fingertips danced along her skin, and I smiled at the trail of goosebumps they left in their wake.
“Jourdan’s the only person I’ve ever told, by the way.” I clarified, and her gaze snapped to meet mine. “You make the second person I’ve ever told.”
“Ever?” She asked, stunned.
“Ever.”
An array of emotions danced across her beautiful, fine features.
Shock, pride, gratitude, confusion, and then they made their rounds again. I never stopped running my fingers along her skin, never stopped touching her, and slowly the energy between us began to shift.
Her brown eyes turned molten as the air became charged.
Leaning forward, I pressed my mouth to hers, and the moment our lips touched, we were in a frenzy.
