I look down at the bag full of money and back at Rip. “Well, you should take back what you paid for—”
“Stop right there.” He holds a hand up. “I know you’re used to dating pussies, but real men don’t get paid back by their girl.” He points at the bag. “Every dollar in there is yours.”
“Oh, Rip.” I jump into his arms and wrap my legs around him. “I have something to tell you, but I’m worried that if I tell you now, you’ll get the wrong idea. If I don’t tell you, though, I might combust.”
“What is it, Thorny?”
“What I’m about to say has nothing to do with that bag of money. Tell me you understand that.”
“Okay.”
“I am in love with you. Heads over heels in love with you. I would commit a felony for you type of love. The kind where I would choose you over anyone. The kind of love that is all-consuming, obsessive, and crazy. The type of love I’ve waited twenty-eight years to find.” This time, it’s me who cups his face. “And please, please, please believe me that it has nothing to do with the money. I don’t care about it. I’ll set it on fire, but—” I run out of words because of the lump in my throat. A sudden bout of emotion hits, and I start to cry.
When he puts me on my feet, I bury my face in his chest. He rubs my back and plants soft kisses on top of my head while he holds me through my tears and rocks me against his body.
“That got emotional,” I say against his skin. I finally leave his chest, search his eyes, and wait to hear his confession. My heart pounds in anticipation of the sweet words I know are about to come out of his mouth.
“You want breakfast?” he asks, shocking me. “Let’s go out instead of cooking. I’ll go put on a shirt.” He kisses my cheek and leaves me alone in the middle of his office.
After a few moments, I go after him and find him in the bedroom. He’s pulling a black T-shirt over his head.
“That’s it?” I ask. “I tell you that I love you, and you ask about breakfast?”
“Yeah. You have to eat. See if one of your friends will have lunch with you today. I won’t be able—”
“Will you stop talking about food!” I snap. “What’s wrong with you?” I follow him into the bathroom.
When he takes out the blow dryer from one of the drawers, I put my hand on his wrist.
“Don’t you love me?” I feel the tears pool in the back of my eyes. “God, I sound so pathetic. Forget it.” I turn my back and slam the bathroom door behind me, feeling more humiliated than ever before.
“Thorny!” he yells to my retreating back.
“I’ll call a rideshare.” He catches up to me in two steps. “Don’t want to get in the way of you stuffing your face.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I just made some stupid confession, and you want to go eat an omelet, but whatever. I lost my appetite. Enjoy your breakfast, though.” I mutter, “Jerk,” under my breath.
He grabs my elbow and turns me around. “Woman, if you don’t stop this bullshit and talk to me.”
I try to yank away from him, but his hand is like a vice.
“You’re acting like an emotional female.”
I swat him on his bare chest with my free hand.
“Let me go,” I say. “And I am an emotional female, jackass. At least I have emotions.”
“This whole exchange just proves that you don’t listen,” he snaps.
“Listen to what? You go on about food?”
“I’ve been telling you for days now that I love you. I didn’t get all pissy when you didn’t say it back because I already know how you feel. I know you love me. I’ve known it for a while now.”
I try to swat him in the middle of his chest, but he moves out of the way, and I don’t get to make contact. “I don’t know who you’ve been confessing your love to, Ripley, but it hasn’t been me.”
He sighs and scoffs.
