Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Dread.
It was dread.
Fuck me, what kind of skeleton was in her closet that would make this deal more of a liability than an asset?
I folded my arms over my chest like I was prepping to take a blow.
“Where did you just go, Aspen?” I asked, my voice soft.
She blinked a few times, and I could’ve sworn there was something glittering there, almost like tears. Just the thought of that tugged at something in the center of my chest, a pit opening in my stomach that I’d never felt before.
“My past,” she finally answered. “I went to the past.”
I swallowed hard. “And?” I pressed. “What are you afraid I’ll find?”
“I’m broke,” she admitted, the words sounding like they were literally breaking her to admit even though she paired it with a casual shrug. “I’m a twenty-eight-year-old barista.”
“In your own shop?” I asked and immediately regretted the question when I saw her face fall.
“No, not my own shop. Just a barista.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” I said. “That doesn’t seem like a thing to worry you when I brought up your background check.”
“My parents…” Her face scrunched like the words were hard to force, and I could detect the pain in her voice that she tried to hide. “Are the worst people you can imagine. They’re the kind of people who lie to your face while stealing directly out of your pocket. They’re the kind of people who have children, so they can be paid by the state. They’re the kind of people who forget they have children, leaving them to fend for themselves at the age of five for days at a time.” She sighed. “They’re also addicts, and despite the many attempts in my adult years to get them the help they need, they’ve refused.” She fidgeted with the strap of her bag.
“I have a younger sister who I’ve been taking care of since I was ten. She just turned nineteen and got into the college of her dreams, and I’ve worked my entire life to raise her and make sure she’s had every opportunity my parents denied us.
“I got her out of the house the minute I could and cut ties with my parents, but they come around sporadically when they need things. Not that I’ve ever given them what they want…I’ve fed them before, given them a ride to clinics, nothing more. But I can imagine to somebody like you, who lives in the spotlight, that might be seen as a poor mark on your otherwise pristine portfolio.”
Hearing her story unravel in front of me made me see things about her I hadn’t noticed before. Like the slight exhaustion underneath her beautiful eyes, the weight she seemed to carry on her shoulders, and the determined attitude to do whatever it took to survive. It all made sense in a sad sort of way that made me want to wrap her in a comforting hug even though I barely knew her.
“One,” I said. “I find it truly admirable that you did that for your sister, and I’m sure she appreciates it more than you’ll ever know. I have a sister, and while I didn’t have to raise her, I had to take care of her after our parents suddenly died. So I understand in some ways the toll that takes on you.”
“Two,” I continued. “Thank you for being open and honest with me about that. You didn’t have to, and I appreciate it. I think that’s what’s going to make this contracted relationship work. Neither one of us attempting to lie to the other.” I shifted against the desk, doing my best not to reach out and offer her a comforting gesture. It didn’t really look like she needed it, but I couldn’t deny the instinct I had to give it. “How often do your parents come around?”
She wasn’t wrong about them being a liability, and if they were as bad as she said, then the second they found out she was dating me—which they likely would if they kept track of socialite media because that’s just the life I lived—I’m sure they’d come sniffing around. It wasn’t a deal-breaker, but it would definitely be something we’d need to prepare for.
Aspen sighed, shaking her head as she shrugged. “I haven’t seen them in a year and a half.” Her eyes went distant for a moment, as if she was back in that memory, and she shuddered. The girl actually shuddered like she was remembering a moment with the grim reaper, not her estranged parents.
Adrenaline spiked my blood, protective instincts firing.
I just wanted to protect my investment, that’s all.
“We can prepare for those kinds of situations,” I said. “Especially since you let me know ahead of time. I don’t want you to worry about it.”
She relaxed slightly.
“What do I need to worry about?” she asked after a few moments, then cleared her throat. “If I take this deal.”