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I had allowed myself to fall in love with Dyrel, despite knowing what his plan was and my part in it.
Why didn’t it bother me before?
Because I didn’t know his mom before. I didn’t know she was a kind person.
Dyrel never lied to me about her. I just never asked.
I zipped the bag shut and moved to the bedroom door. I took another deep breath and unlocked it.
Dyrel stood right there before me.
I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye.
“I want to leave,” I said.
“It’s late,” he said. “If we have something to eat, something to drink, talk, maybe you’ll think differently—”
“I want my money and I want to leave now.”
He looked me over.
“I understand this has come as a shock,” he said. “But I don’t want you to leave.”
“The deal was for me to meet your mom and try to convince her to let you keep your inheritance,” I said, still looking at his chest. “Success or failure, the payment is the same. That was the deal. Or were you lying to me too?”
His arms lowered to his sides and his body hunched over. I might have dealt him a powerful blow to the solar plexus.
“No,” he said. “I didn’t lie to you. Follow me and I’ll give you what I promised.”
He turned and headed to his office.
It was small but functional.
He moved to the back and removed a holographic painting from the wall. He placed his hand on a panel and the safe made a high-pitched ringing noise. The door opened.
He reached inside and came out with a single coin.
He handed it to me.
“Use this to buy your ticket,” he said. “I suggest you buy the best seat you can before my funds are frozen and stripped from me.”
I took it but didn’t turn to leave yet.
“Thank you for buying and freeing me from the matchmaking company,” I said.
“And thank you for helping me,” he said stiffly. “Sorry I’m such a disappointment.”
You were never a disappointment, I wanted to tell him. If I said them, it would be like pulling the stopper and I would burst into tears.
“Do you want me to give you a lift to the spaceport?” he said.
I shook my head. Definitely not.
“How about I call you a taxi?” he said.
My eyes were already filling up. I nodded.
He called the taxi company and escorted me to the front door.
