“Fifteen eighty.”
“Wow! No way. Oh my gosh! Congrats, sis. That’s amazing.”
“My guidance counselor says with my GPA and SAT score, I should gain entrance to one of the Ivy League schools if I want.” She sounds excited. “She said I’d be an easy in at many top state college programs as well. What with all my extracurriculars as well …” She pauses. “I need to start sending out applications.”
“That’s awesome, Holly. I’m so excited for you.”
“There’s just one thing …” She sounds nervous, and I hold my breath. “I haven’t been approved for many application fee waivers.”
“Oh …”
“So, I can’t even apply to some of the programs without paying the fees. I asked Dad, and he told me I can just go to WHCC and take classes there.” She sounds sad. “But I don’t want to go to WHCC, Kat—not that there’s anything wrong with community college,” she adds quickly. “I know you and Brielle and Willow went there, but I want to go to med school, so I reallywant to get into a really good premed program and be around really great minds, you know.”
“I get it, sis.” I sigh. “So, how much do you need for the applications?”
“About one thousand five hundred dollars. By November, if I want to get in my applications as soon as possible, which will help me get more in financial aid ’cause Mom and Dad can’t help and I don’t want to be drowning in debt with loans for decades. And, well, I know you can’t really help. I don’t want to be a burden, sis. I just … I just don’t know who else to turn to.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say softly. “I’ll have the money by November, and we’ll figure out your tuition fees, I promise.”
“And Ginger next year,” Holly says softly. “Because she wants to go to law school and …” Her voice trails off. “I doubt Mom and Dad will be able to help her either.”
“I know. Don’t worry. Just concentrate on school, okay?”
“I will. I love you, Kat.”
“I love you too, Holly,” I say and hang up.
I stare at my friends and let out a long sigh. “Why does life have to be so complicated?” I press my lips together and look up at the ceiling. “My parents have always been the fun, easygoing parents, but they are so financially reckless that it makes me sick. My sisters are literally brilliant, but if I can’t figure something out, they will not be able to go to college and grad school without being in debt for half of their lives. And I get that many people can’t afford school, but our grandparents literally gave them money to invest for us. And if they had, we’d all have had small lump sums to help.” I slam my fist into a cushion in frustration. “And yet we have nothing. And all Dad can say is that he tried to triple our money, and Mom just goes along with it like it’s okay, and it’s not okay.”
“It’ll be okay, Katherine.” Brielle rubs my shoulder. “I know it’s hard.”
“It’s so incredibly frustrating.” I down the rest of my glass of wine. “I guess it’s time to suck up my pride and pretend I don’t hate Jack Heathcliff. We need to get the funding for this bed-and-breakfast. I need to make this a success. I am determined to give my sisters the opportunities that I never had. I want them to have the educations of their dreams. They deserve it.” I stare at my friends. “Let’s work on our plan some more and make it the most kick-ass plan ever. We need to get this funding.”
“Let’s do it,” Willow says in glee. “I’ll grab a pen and paper.”
“I’ll get my laptop.” Brielle jumps up and hurries to her room.
I grab the chips and smile to myself. This is all going to work out. I will put Jack to the back of my mind. In fact, I will try and pretend that he never came back into my life. I will pretend the past never happened.
My phone pings then, and I groan as I read the text.
Unknown: Still mad at me, Agnes? Do we need to talk it out? In case you don’t know who this is, it’s the big bad wolf.
“Ugh,” I mumble under my breath. “Just when I thought I could forget all about you, you got my number.”
I delete his text and close my eyes. I’m immediately annoyed when I see Jack’s face in my mind. I have no idea how I’m going to react when I see him again because all I want to do is wipe his cocky smile off of his smug face.
Chapter Four
It’s dark outside as I make my way into the gym. It’s five a.m., and most of the city is still asleep, but this is my golden hour—the time I get to start my daily schedule and get my heart pumping.
My life is structured, and that’s how I like it. I wake at four a.m. and drink a protein shake while I check my work emails for anything extremely important. I then head to the gym, where I work out for an hour while listening to a podcast or audiobook. Then I shower, head home to change, eat breakfast, and head to the office. I normally walk into the office by seven thirty a.m. and immediately get to work so that I can figure out my market positions before Wall Street opens, and then I make my trades. I usually have endless meetings, work through lunch, and then head home at six p.m., where I make myself a meal before going on a date or meeting my friends at the club.
It’s a routine I’ve had for years, and I have never even considered changing it up. I’m a creature of habit, and I love it.
I make my way to the weights, but I can’t help but stop to glance at my phone and see if Katherine has responded to my text message. Still nothing. I’m annoyed. The last thing I need tobe thinking about is Katherine Jenkins. With her long black hair and brown eyes, she is a captivating figure.
“Get it together, Jack,” I mumble to myself as I head over to the dumbbells to do some bicep curls. “She may be older now, but she still dated Zac. Not that the relationship lasted very long.” I laugh.
