Was I in a sugar coma and hallucinating? How was this incredibly gorgeous, wonderful man choosing me? Amy’s voice from last time we’d had this conversation came into my head.Because you’re awesome, silly. You deserve this, and he’s a lucky man to have you. Don’t forget it!
I smiled. Amy was right. I was a nice person, I was good to others, and I was smart. Why didn’t I deserve someone like Curtis? “I think that’s a fantastic idea. I would love to be exclusive with you, Mr. Knight.” I didn’t think about the logistics of seeing him if I had to leave the city—that was a problem for another day.
His eyes lit up, and his dimples did their dimpliest to slay me. Death by dimples, but what a way to go. He held my hands and stood, bringing me with him. He brought one hand up and ran the back of his finger down my cheek. “I feel like the luckiest man alive.”
Was it possible for a heart to explode from an overabundance of joy? If so, I wasn’t going to make it. “That’s funny because I feel like the luckiest woman alive. I guess we’re well suited.”
His tongue darted past his lips, his eyes darkening, dangerous in the way they looked into my very depths and laid me bare. There was no defense, no barrier I could erect to keep him out when he gazed at me like he was starving. He bowed his head, his lips so close. I tipped my head back and shut my eyes, every sense needy, ready.
My phone rang, which startled both of us because the ringtone was a woman screaming.
“What the fuck is that?” Curtis looked around, his eyes wide.
I sighed, my shoulders drooping. “My faux step-sister.” I grabbed my phone from the desk. Trust her to interrupt a “moment.” I’d been so happy a second ago, and now I wasn’t. What the heck did she want? I swiped the screen and put it on speaker,stress I hadn’t felt in weeks climbing my body like a creepy, chopped-off hand with its own mind. I made my voice as casual as I could. “Faith speaking.”
“Hey, fairy-brained Faith, it’s the favorite daughter.” Argh, she had to get a dig in there, like a champion shoveler. Also, I hated that name, and she knew it. Her and Mom liked to say I was off with the fairies all the time, like my creative brain made me somehow lacking.
If only I could say what I really thought—hello, shallow, room-stealing harpy. “Oh hey, Brandy.” I dreaded to ask, but it wasn’t like she ever called just to chat. “Is everything okay at home?”
“Yeah, of course. I’m ringing for something else.” Her smugness was off the charts. I stared at the window and tensed my stomach. “I was thinking of visiting New York next weekend. Can I stay with you?”
Curtis frowned. He could obviously see I was tense, and I hadn’t said much about my family, but I’d said enough that he knew Harpy and I weren’t besties. “I’m sorry, but Amy doesn’t have any room. I can suggest a couple of cheap places if you want.” They were rat-infested dumps, but someone on her wages couldn’t afford much, unless her dad was paying for it. Not that he had much either.
“Oh, are you still at Amy’s?”
I scrunched my forehead. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“This is going to take all day. Give me the phone” came my mother’s voice in the background. I could picture her grabbing the phone out of Brandy’s hand—my mother was never one to be patient. “Faith, are you there?”
“Yes, Mom. Hello to you too. How have you been?”
“I’ve been better. I see you can’t follow advice, and now you’re in the social-media news. And why didn’t you tell me anything? I’m your long-suffering mother, for goodness’ sake. I can’t believe I’m the last to know.”
I blinked and stared at Curtis. He looked just as perplexed as me and a bit annoyed, which I could assume was because my mother was being her usual, disappointing self. “What are you talking about?” Uneasiness eddied in my gut. “I don’t think I’m up for any awards,” I joked, because was there any other way to deal with stress and annoying people?
Her exasperation filtered through the phone like noxious gas. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why can’t you ever be serious?”
Because if I was, I’d say what I really thought, and you’d never speak to me again.
Curtis gently placed his hand on my shoulder. He mouthed, “Give me the phone.”
I smiled and shook my head. Just knowing he wanted to stick up for me gave me the courage to say exactly what I wanted… well, almost exactly. “Fine. You want serious? Here it is. Can you get to the point? I’m working right now, and I don’t have time for a lecture. You never call me for a nice chat or to see how I am. You just want to criticize and lecture me. If you want to ask me something, ask it without the insults and poor-me narrative.”
Her shocked, drama-filled intake of air was clear over the phone. My heart was racing, and my mouth was dry, but I’d done it. I’d stuck up for myself. I’d probably never be allowed back home again, but maybe it was time to cut the cord until the people in that house treated me with even a crumb of respect.
In the post-bomb-drop silence, Curtis grabbed his phone and was googling, probably trying to discover what Momster was talking about.
My heartbeat thudded in my ears as I waited to see if my mother would say anything or hang up. I wished I didn’t care, but I hoped she heard what I was saying and decided to be nicer instead of rejecting me.
Brandy must’ve grabbed the phone because she finally broke the silence, and she sounded excited about it. “There’s a post goinground on socials with a few photos of you and some smokin’ marketing CEO guy. It says you’ve moved in with him, and you’re loved up. Honestly, it’s probably going to end like the last relationship once he gets to know you, but until then, can I crash at your penthouse?”
The blood drained from my face so fast, I checked my legs to see if they swelled up. Dizziness had me falling into a chair. I stared at Curtis, his gaze glued to his phone, his face expressionless.Please don’t be true. This could mean disaster as far as his father was concerned.
I tried to keep my voice even, and with how dry my mouth was, it was a miracle that any sound came out at all. “I haven’t moved in with anyone.”
My mom was back on the line again. “So, is it true? Are you dating another man out of your league? Why won’t you learn? It says he was your boss. Is that true? Did you do it again?”
Curtis locked his phone screen and turned his back on me to stare out the window. That wasn’t good. Was he angry at me or worried about his father or both?
