Am I supposed to know who his dad is? Is he famous? It would explain the massive mansion in the mountains.
“Ugh, how do I explain this, and I hope it doesn’t change things between us.” Now I’m worried. Is his dad a murderer? Mafia? “My dad is rich.” Oh, thank goodness that’s all it is, he had me worried there for a second. “Like rich, rich. He just sold his tech business the other month, it was all over the news.”
“Does it look like I read the Financial Times?”
Charlie smiles. “Maybe the Business Times,” he teases, then he tells me to search his dad online because it’s probably the easiest way to explain it. He’s been very weird, so I do, and oh … his dad is a billionaire.
A fricken billionaire!
What in the hell. I look up at him and then down to my screen, then back up at him.
“Yeah. I don’t tend to tell people who my dad is.”
“I’m not a gold digger.” I quickly throw it out there because I don’t want him to think I’m with him for his dad’s billions. I mean, it’s kind of cool, but I have my own money. I hang out with rockstars for goodness sake, and they are rich, and I’ve never asked them for a thing.
Charlie bursts out laughing, “Derrick, I know you’re not a gold digger. You’ve proved it so many times in your actions. Thought now is the time to kind of explain my family.”
“Is that the reason I haven’t met your parents yet? Do you think they might not approve of me? Do they want to fix you up with the son of a business partner, you know, strengthen their connections?”
“I think you’ve been watching too many movies. My parents are not like that at all. And they haven’t met you yet because they haven’t been in the country, but I want you to meet them.”
“You, do?”
Charlie gets up and kneels beside me. “Yes. You’re my future, D. They will want to meet the man who has brought me back to life.”
“That wasn’t me. That was all you.”
He shakes his head. “You gave me a future to fight for. Lifted me out of a dark place, and I’ve never been more excited for life before.”
Emotion wells in my eyes. “I’ve never been more excited either.” Cupping my cheek, Charlie gets up and kisses me passionately.
“When we get back from Australia, how about I take you to them? They live up in the Bay Area.”
“You don’t have to if you’re not ready.”
“They’ve known about you since day one, D. I’m close with my family,” he explains. Wow. Okay.
“I’d like that,” I agree, which makes him smile. Then he moves back to his chair. “You make me so fucking happy, Charlie.”
“Ditto.” He grins, scooping a mouthful of lasagna into his mouth.
“Does this mean LA is on the cards?”
“Everly likes it.”
“What about you?” I question, biting my bottom lip.
Charlie puts his silverware down, and those intense eyes land on me. “I told Jackson I’m in.”
“What!” I squeal, dropping my fork. “You’re moving?”
He nods. “After we get back from Australia. Everly is going to stay at Jackson’s while he’s away and find us an apartment, andthen when I get back, we will head back to Midnight Falls and pack up all our things.
“Why the hell did you not lead with that first?” I tell him.
“I wanted to surprise you later.”
“You’re really doing this? You’re moving to LA? And we can see each other every single day.”
