Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Less real.
An alternate reality.
She waited. She knew me well enough to know when I was joking to cloud the seriousness. I blew out a sigh. “I have something I need to tell you.”
“You can tell me anything. You know that.”
“Karl has been paying for Bobby’s care.”
Silence stretched long, and I could tell she was processing. She warred, then pressed, “What do you mean? I thought the state paid for it?”
The laugh I let go was ashamed, and my voice quieted as I rushed through the confession. “It was Karl paying for it the entire time.”
We’d only been dating for a short time when the accident happened, and I’d moved in with him pretty quickly after.
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you come to us for help? The church would have helped. We would have—”
“I know you would have, and that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. Your dad already gave so much to me and Bobby. There was no chance I was going to ask for more.”
When our parents had died when I was fifteen, Bobby had stepped in as my guardian. He raised me when he’d barely been more than a kid himself.
Eden’s father, Gary, ran a nonprofit called Hope to Hands out of the church where he was the pastor, helping those in the community who were in need.
At the beginning?
That organization had made it possible for me to remain with Bobby. Providing groceries and covering our rent for a full year until Bobby had gotten a promotion at work.
After Bobby’s accident, there was no chance I could ask more of them. I couldn’t take away from the other families who needed that money when I had another option.
Unfortunately, it was an option that had begun to destroy me.
Eden was silent for a long time before she carefully asked, “Is that why you took over Hope to Hands? Because you felt like you’ve already taken too much?”
God, sometimes she knew me too well.
When Gary had been ready to retire from the position, I’d felt called. I needed to give back after everything that had been given to me.
“Of course not. I was bored and needed a reason to stay away from Karl’s house for longer. I did it for purely selfish reasons.” I let it go as a tease.
“You really are the most amazing person I know,” she murmured instead of laughing.
My voice softened. “You guys took care of us, Eden. I don’t know where I would be right now if your father hadn’t stepped in.”
Over the years, he’d become like a father to me, especially after Bobby’s accident. I’d had no one left but these incredible people who’d welcomed me into their family.
“And that’s the hold Karl has always had on you. I should have known.”
“You didn’t know because I kept it from you, and I’m sorry for that.”
“Still, I should have dug deeper,” she argued, like any of this was her fault. “I always knew there was something. It wasn’t like you lit up anytime that jerk came around. I never could understand what you saw in him.”
I’d actually liked him at the beginning, though, until he’d shown who he really was. Once he’d started giving me money? His offering had been nothing but chains.
“I definitely didn’t see a whole lot in him…he was like…sour cake with mold on it.” My nose curled at the vision.
Eden giggled. “Gross.”
“Totally gross.”
We both laughed before the lightness drained. “I can’t believe it. What are you going to do now? Trent and I can—”
“Don’t you dare say you guys can give me money. That is not happening. I will figure this out.”
“Why not, when you would be the first one to give me the shirt off your back?”
“Well, I’m actually going to need yours.” I looked down at the outfit Milo had given me to wear. It was an old, ratty tee with holes in it and a pair of gym shorts.
It was going to go awesome with my heels.
Dawning blazed from my bestie. “Wait a minute, where are you?”
I inhaled a deep breath, taking another quick peep out into the backyard. Milo was now on a ladder hammering a piece of wood.
Tingles raced.
Good God, the man was delicious.
“Milo’s.”
A beat of silence passed before she laughed. “Oh my God, did you call him? I knew you had a thing for him. You were always in denial, claiming you had a boyfriend, while you were salivating over him, weren’t you?”
All true.
“No, of course not. Who do you think I am? And it so didn’t go down like that. He found me loitering outside Absolution.”
“You went back to Absolution?” she gasped. “Why didn’t you call me to come get you?”
“Because last night was the first night in forever that you and Trent didn’t have the kids, and I knew you were over there eating all that yummy, delicious cake.” No mold to be found. “What kind of BFF would I be if I interrupted that?”