“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to, River. What’s with all the questions?”
“I’m just trying to get to know more about you,” I tell him. He sighs and pulls me in tighter.
“She’s a drunk and a drug addict. She never really wanted kids. All they were good for was tending to her. Her boyfriends used to beat the shit out of me when I was younger. When I was sixteen, I left.”
“And you’ve been on the streets since then?”
“Yeah. Not long after, I got into the fights. It was something I was good at and something that got me by.”
“But you never have money,” I say softly because none of that makes any sense to me. He makes fairly good money fighting, but there never seems to be enough.
“I have a sister,” he says softly.
“Where is she?”
“Still with my mom. She’s only sixteen. I fucked up, dropped out of school. I don’t want that for her,” he admits.
“But if your mom was bad to you, isn’t she bad to her?”
“That’s where the money comes in. I send her the majority of it. If she can keep Mom entertained long enough, she leaves her alone. She rations out what she needs for food and bills, but the rest goes to her.”
Sadness creeps inside me. I can’t believe that this is what his life was like. I had no idea he had a sister, and that’s where his money went, or the fact that he lives like this so she can live better.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper before pressing a kiss to his chest. His hand comes up to my hair, running his fingers through it.
“I don’t tell many people about my life.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Who said I was ashamed? I’m not.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I try to back track now.
“Yeah, you did. And I get it. Being homeless isn’t that glamorous, but this is my life.” I hear what he’s saying, but I don’t respond. Instead, I stay close to him and eventually fall asleep.
Chapter 15
Royal
I work out because I need to stay in shape, and it helps me keep my focus. I also enjoy doing it.
I can feel River’s eyes on me, but I don’t stop what I’m doing. I keep working out, pretending I don’t know she’s there.
Over the time she’s been here, I find I like being around her. She isn’t anything like I thought she would be, but then again, my perception of rich people has been skewed since I was a kid.
“You going to keep eye fucking me?” I finally ask her. She snaps her mouth closed and looks away, but all I can do is chuckle.
“I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, you were.”
“Explain to me why you think every woman wants you,” she asks, cocking her head to the side to look at me now.
“Every woman?” I ask, stepping closer to her. I watch the way she looks at me the closer I get to her.
“Yeah. You seem to think that every woman wants you.” I keep moving, getting closer and closer to her until we’re nearly touching. I reach up and run my fingers along her cheek, and I see the way she shivers from my touch.
