I enter the bedroom and peer around for some sort of clue as to what could’ve possibly happened. A few items are left behind—a couple of boxes, a blanket, and a lamp. I head to the boxes and open one up. Inside are a few photos and papers.
I pluck a photo out and can’t help smiling a bit. It’s of me as a baby, and my aunt is holding me. She looks happy as she smiles down at me, sitting in a chair outside, beneath the sunlight in a nicely landscaped yard I don’t recognize. I wonder who took the photo. Maybe my mother?
I set the photo down and open the other box. So many papers are stuffed into this one. When I rummage around, I realize the papers are actually bank transaction receipts.
“What the hell?” Confusion webs through me in a tangled mess. The sum of money being deposited in these bank accounts is insane. And it doesn’t list a name on the account.
“Did she steal someone else’s bank records?” I mutter as I sit down on the floor.
River comes over and crouches beside me. “What is it?”
“Bank records for an account that has a ton of money in it.” I hand him one of the papers then grab another stack, one of which is a deed to a house with my aunt’s name listed on it. “What the hell is going on? One of these says my aunt owns some house on the border of northside, which is one of the nicest areas here.”
“Maybe it’s an investment she made?” River offers, taking the paper from me.
I glance at him. “Why does my mother have the deed, then?”
His brows knit as he scans the paper. “I have no idea.”
“Maybe it’s a fake.”
“If it is, it’s flawless.”
“Have you seen a deed before?”
He nods absentmindedly. “I have them for the properties I own.”
I blink. “You ownproperties?”
He visibly tenses, his gaze landing on mine. “Yeah, my parents gave all of us a few. Some of them are just land, but I do own a condo and also a house that has a bunch of acreage.”
All I can do is gape at him. Sure, I’m aware that River’s family is crazy wealthy, but he can’t even legally buy alcohol, yet he owns condos, houses, and land?
“Please don’t stop kissing me because of this,” he utters softly.
“What?” Shock whisks through me. “Why would you think I’d do that?”
“Because whenever the wealthy part of my life comes up, you pull away. Like when the paparazzi was taking photos of us. Not that I don’t get it—it’s a lot to deal with. So, if you want to stop kissing me, I’ll understand, but I really don’t want you to.” He’s rambling, and it’s so cute.
He’s so cute.
Why does he have to be so cute?
“We can still kiss,” I assure him. “We’re fake dating, anyway, and that requires kissing.”
He massages the back of his neck. “Isn’t it more than that? I mean …” His hand falls to his side. “I know my future is murky, and I get if you don’t want to deal with that, but I think—I know—that I’d like to date you for real.” Before I can even try to work up some kind of response, he quickly adds, “Can you think about it for a bit? I don’t want to pressure you, and I know it’s asking a lot, so … Yeah, take your time. Unless it’s a hard no for you.”
I should reply that it is. Dating him would be walking straight into a mess. Take, for example, the phone call he received from his father yesterday. River’s family won’t approve of our dating. Well, his parents won’t. Lily and Finn will be okay with it. In fact, Lily wants it to happen.
“Okay, I’ll think about it.” My heart literally skips a beat at the incandescent smile he gives me.
He opens his mouth then snaps it shut at the sound of the front door closing.
“Yeah, I’m here,” a deep voice comes from the living room.
I snag a hold of River’s hand and yank him with me as I scramble into the closet and shut the door as quietly as possible. The space is small, dark, and reeks of cigarettes. I’m standing so close to River that our bodies are pressed together.
“Who do you think it is?” he whispers, slipping an arm around my back.
