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“What a son of a bitch,” Ravi said.

Mari nodded. “Shay, you need to tell Cam what he said.”

I blinked. “What?”

“This is—” Maribel threw her hands in the air. “Is this even legal?”

Taken aback, I grabbed for a new tissue to wipe my face. “Legal? Of course it’s legal.”

“It just seems shady is all I’m saying. Like blackmail or something.”

I considered that for a moment. Was it legal?

Did it matter? It wasn’t like I could afford a lawyer.

The only silver lining was that I still had a job. I could call the city tomorrow and accept. I’d be heartbroken and miserable, but I wouldn’t be destitute.

“I can’t believe he asked if you were on birth control,” Ravi said, disgusted.

Maribel gave a ferocious scowl. “As if you want his stupid Shepherd spawn.”

I burst into tears again.

“Oh, god,” Ravi muttered.

“I mean—” Mari’s hands danced around me, like she wasn’t sure how to turn me off. “Of course you want Shepherd spawn! I mean, what? That isn’t what I meant. Do you want his babies? Shay! When did it get this serious?”

“I’m in love with him,” I said, but the words hitched over sobs so deep I’m not sure they were intelligible.

Giving up on delicate, Maribel attacked me with a hug. Ravi patted my arm.

“If you’re in love with Cam,” Mari mumbled against my hair, “you need to tell him what his dad said. That is so messed up.”

“If I tell him, I’m scared he’ll choose me.”

Mari leaned back to meet my eyes, brows knitted. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“What if he chooses me, loses everything, then realizes he got the short end of the stick?”

Ravi and Mari went silent.

“I’m calling your mother,” Ravi said at the same time that Maribel yelled, “You are not the short end of the stick!”

I blinked at her while Ravi slipped out of the room, phone to his ear.

“You are the big, fat sparkly end of the stick! Your stick is so long, it’s immeasurable. Your stick is glorious! It’s amazing.”

I sniffled. “Why does this sound so sexual?”

“You’re the one who started talking about sticks,” Mari said, perturbed.

“…I think it’s an emergency…” came Ravi’s voice from the kitchen.

“Well, I don’t want to talk about sticks anymore,” I said.

Maribel shook my shoulders. “My point is that—as usual—you are cheapening your own value. If Camden Shepherd’s worth as a human comes even close to his net worth, then he’ll realize that you are more valuable than every cent in his bank account and then some. You’re worth more than all the material wealth in the world.”

I frowned.