“Your whole family is a piece of work. They think they can play God? Just because I didn’t grow up with money and a family? Seriously, who do you think you are?” She took a deep breath. “I feel like I’m going to throw up. Or punch you.”
He extended arm. “I’d prefer the punch.”
She rubbed her forehead. “You think it’s a joke. You don’t even get how horrific this is. Who else have you done this with? Played with them like a pawn?”
“No one. Dad said this was like a good deed for all the kids who came through his court. He didn’t want you to know the source of the good will.”
“Of course not. Because it makes no sense.” She put her hands on the dashboard. “Never mind the ride—let me out. I’d rather walk than take another favor from you.” She reached for the door handle as if that could make him pull over.
Phoenix put a hand on her forearm. “Orchid Kai Lan Paige. You’re misunderstanding, I promise. I didn’t know about you until Dad told me. But everything else, you’ve earned it. I didn’t give you the ad work out of pity. You had the skills to do it, and you helped me out. You did an amazing job. I should’ve let you go before now. I should’ve had someone else mentor you. But I was selfish. I wanted to spend time with you. I—”
Orchid felt her face pinch. She pulled her arm out of his reach and let go of the door handle. “Now I’m your outlet for some savior fantasy.”
“Not at all. You amaze me. With your smarts, and savvy, your ability to never give up.”
“Yeah, that’s what people do when they don’t have any safety net. You know what’s so sick about what you did? I’ve battled for everything I have. I worked my way through school, I fought for this job, and earned everything, including my shoebox apartment, my transit card, my gym membership. But now, if I get this assignment, I won’t have that satisfaction. You’ve soiled it.”
She watched him drive, his face a study in anguish. He must see how manipulative it looked from her perspective. Their whole relationship had been built on a falsehood.
“My intentions weren’t bad. But I’m still a shit.” His self-recrimination sounded genuine.
“You’re not a shit. What you did was shitty,” she corrected, her fury mollified a touch.
“So, what did Joan say after all?” he asked, now that her voice was calmer.
“Do you have any right to ask? For all I know, you paid her off. Money can buy anything, can’t it? What does she know about us, anyway?”
“She doesn’t know about Dad’s last wishes. No one does.”
“Except Caleb.”
“Not until now.”
“At least one of you isn’t a liar.”
“I’m sorry, Orchid. But the truth is, no matter how it all started, now we’re in each other’s lives. I can’t undo that. And I don’t want to.”
“What a novelty it must be, meeting someone who didn’t summer on the Riviera.”
“You’re going too far. You know me. You’ve known me these months. Do you really think I’m elitist? That I’m getting a kick out of saving someone? Think about it, does that make any sense?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, “Knowing that your dead father made you do a good deed for me recolors everything you did. You could’ve been doing it out of guilt, or obligation. I’m your way to feel better about yourself. Why else would you go out of the way?”
Phoenix glanced at her. “You know why else? Because I believed in you. Because you earned it.”
She suddenly realized that she wanted him to say,Because I’ve fallen for you. If he did, then what? She’d sensed that his heart was pure. Despite her anger, she knew he was a good person.
As they approached the tunnel, the sun already well below the horizon, they could see faraway bursts of sparkly lights. Fourth of July. Celebrations. Happy families.
She heard her phone vibrate. It was from Joan. She read the text, then felt her eyes grow wide. “Joan just gave me the China assignment.” She sat in shock.
“That’s great!” he said.
“She says we’ll talk about details next week. I guess I really do need to practice my Chinese.” The thought of language school reminded her of Peter, so she texted him the good news. Someone honest, who’d never betrayed her.
She looked at her phone again, as the news sunk in. “I can’t believe I got it,” she said, hearing the tinge of wonder in her tone.
“You deserve it.”
