“Yeah, yeah, that’s all I’ve heard for years.”
My poor heart is getting a workout today.
For as long as I can remember, the University of Southern California has been my top school. Cornell, UC Berkeley, and Boston College are backups.
But USC? That’s the dream.
If I get scholarships, that is.
My parents have no clue I’m applying. It’s the only way I’ll be able to go.
They assume I’ll go somewhere in Georgia, like Emory or UGA, but I want out…as far away as possible, and I’m banking on my near-perfect GPA, extracurriculars, and portfolio to help.
Financial aid alone will never be enough.
I examine my drafting materials again, and I’m completely amazed that I have the opportunity to use the best of the best.
I’m beyond grateful, but…
“How will we pay Nate back for this?”
“We won’t,” Mason replies absentmindedly.
“Mason.” I raise my voice and flick his giant foot when he pays me no attention. “That’s rude. We need to figure something out. I can give you some of my?—”
“Chill,” he cuts me off. “Maddie Grace, Nate is a billionaire. He wouldn’t take my money even if I tried. Leo’s family might be one too. They own a bunch of famous hotels.”
My head jerks up, and my mouth opens in shock for the second time in minutes. “Billionaire, with aB?”
“With a B,” he confirms. “Well, Nate is seventeen, so he won’t start inheriting his money until he turns eighteen sometime in August, but yeah. His family are the Davenports. Look them up when you get time in the computer lab.”
Nate.
The gorgeous, flirty Nate, who looked at me like he wanted to devour me, is a billionaire.
Jeez, I don’t even know a millionaire.
Not that any of that matters to me.
Only one thing has made him ten times more attractive, and it’s not his money. It’s the fact that he’s planning on being an architect, too.
For the first time, maybe ever, I’ve met someone interested in the same things as me.
So, pretty much, he’s perfection.
“Wait…I thought you said Nate and Leo were brothers. Didn’t Rosa call him her son? I’m confused.”
Mason props himself up on his side. “How many more questions am I going to have to answer today?”
“Maseeee,” I drag out.
I know he’s kidding, but I also want to know everything there is to know about Nate.
“Nate and Leo are not blood-related,” Mason explains. “Nate’s parents are…pretty much evil. Not great people at all. Rosa and Javier “adopted” Nate and his older brother into their family when they were kids, giving them a real family. But they very much consider themselves blood. The whole family does.”
“Wow,” I say, shocked, taken aback. “That’s incredible and so kind of them.”
“For sure. And just so you know, they will take deep offense if you even mention that they aren’t related.”
