I half laugh. “Trust me, I think I just had a fluke moment. I don’t think my books are good enough.” I nod at the words that seep out of me. It feels weird admitting that out loud.
“You like to put yourself down, don’t you?”
I sniff as a sad smile pulls at my lips. “When you’ve had parents who constantly remind you that you’re a failure, then it’s hard to believe anything else.”
I watch as his lips turn down at the corner and I hate that he is giving me a sympathetic look, like he feels bad for me. That’s not what I wanted.
“Don’t look at me like that, I am fine.” I lean forward and push his shoulder, so he rolls on his back. “I don’t want pity; it was just the hand I was dealt.”
“That’s not nice, though,” he mumbles.
“There were kids a lot worse off than me. I had a very privileged childhood, my parents worked hard to get to where they are, but that lifestyle comes with downfalls. I was one of those. They put so much time and money into my education just for me to fail everything. They wanted me to be a trophy wife, married off to someone in their circle and I didn’t want to do it, so I broke the mould.”
He rolls his head to look at me as he watches my mouth as the words spill out.
“I’m an only child, so you can imagine how much of a disappointment I am to them.”
“You’re not a disappointment,” he whispers and his words touch my soul.
I don’t let him see how much it affects me. I blink away the mist and ignore the burn in my throat.
“If I ever get the chance to meet them that would be the first thing I would tell them,” he says. He slowly sits up and tilts his head. I stay silent. “I take it they don’t agree with your job choice.”
I shake my head, scared that he will hear the vulnerability in my voice if I speak aloud.
“Fuck ‘em,” he says, so blasé and calm that it just rolls off the tongue. My mouth drops open, eyes pinned to him and he chuckles. “Sorry, but…” He pauses, as if thinking over his words. “No, I’m not sorry, actually. Not at all.”
I swallow.
“Because I would make sure I told you how fucking proud of you I was every single day if you were in my life. There is no excuse for that, none at all.”
I see the surge of disappointment that sheets his face.
“And I would tell them exactly how I felt if I ever got the opportunity.”
“Well, it’s good to know that you have my corner.”
“Always, kid. Always.”
Kid.If only he knew I was older than him.
“Okay, so do you need my schedule for the next few weeks? Things are going to really ramp up, and I don’t want to go back and forth with texting otherwise we will miss each other like we did today,” he suggests, and I am grateful for the change of subject.
He tilts his head ever so slightly to the side. It isn’t fair at how handsome he is. I would even say pretty. His face is symmetrical, with defined cheek bones and a strong jaw line. His lips are rounded, plump, with the most perfect cupids bow giving his upper lip a slight pout. Teeth straight, nose impeccable. He was just perfect. Like he was crafted from stone by the gods and placed on the earth. Almost too perfect. Fragile.
“Athena?” His voice pulls me from my hazy moment and my cheeks pinken.
“Yes, sure, fine, email it to me?”
“Cool, I’ll get Nora on it.” He flashes me a toothy grin.
“So, how did you get the playboy nickname?” I ask after silence fills the room; I reach for my notepad and start jotting.
“Me? Playboy?” He half laughs, his brows sitting high in his forehead.
“Yes, you.” I point the lid end of my pen towards him and jab the air.
“I’m no playboy…” He trails off, letting his eyes drop to the duvet.
