Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“So you dropped out of college to care for her?”
Raina nodded slowly, seemingly in no rush to part ways. “She needed me. Nothing was more important than that.” Her voice was quiet, stripped of its usual brightness. “She was so exhausted and sick, and I was providing round-the-clock care for months.”
She paused, her fingers twisting together in her lap.
“When she started to get better, I still wanted to be there until she was fully recovered. I found an entry-level position at the advertising firm and worked my way up in the company while still taking care of her when I wasn’t at the office.” A small, sad smile touched her lips. “By the time she was officially cancer-free, I’d decided to stick with the job instead of finishing my last year of school. I don’t have any regrets, really. Even if my options are more limited without a degree.”
The words were matter-of-fact, but I heard what lay beneath them—the weight of responsibility she’d shouldered at such a young age, the dreams she’d quietly set aside for the sake of family.
“But Miles feels guilty about it?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, he’s the oldest. I think he feels like he’s supposed to be responsible for the whole family, especially since our dad died.”
The words landed heavily in the quiet car. “How old were you when you lost him?”
I knew it had been a long time ago. Kurt had mentioned it in passing over the years, but I couldn’t imagine losing my father at any age, let alone as a child.
“I was ten.” Her voice had gone small and fragile in a way that made my chest ache. “He owned a roofing company. One day there was an accident at a job site. His harness wasn’t properly secured, or something like that. I don’t know the exact details—I was so young when it happened.”
She swallowed, her gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the windshield.
“I remember being shocked that he died in a fall. I looked it up once. Falling is actually a leading cause of accidental death. But usually it’s elderly people. My dad was only forty-one.”
I didn’t know what to say. What words could possibly be adequate? So I reached across the console and took her hand. Raina’s head turned toward me, surprise flickering in her eyes, but she didn’t pull away. Her fingers were cool against my palm, and I wrapped mine around them, holding gently.
Silence settled between us—not uncomfortable, despite the weight of everything she’d just shared. As much as I hated thinking about a ten-year-old Raina losing her father, or a college-aged Raina giving up her education to care for her mother, I was grateful she’d trusted me with these pieces of herself. I felt closer to her now. The connection between us was deepening into something that had nothing to do with fake relationships or business arrangements and as much as I knew how complicated things could potentially get, I didn’t fight the feeling.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I can’t imagine how difficult that was. Losing your father so young, and then years later, almost losing your mother too…”
I released her hand, but only so I could reach up and brush a strand of hair away from her face. The gesture was tender, unhurried. My fingertips traced along her cheekbone, and I felt her breath catch.
The air in the car shifted. We were alone. It was dark, the interior lit only by the distant glow of the streetlight. I could see the rapid flutter of her pulse at the base of her throat, could feel the sudden charge that crackled in the small space separating us.
Slowly—deliberately—I slid my hand around to cup the back of her neck. My thumb brushed against the soft skin behind her ear, and I felt a shiver run through her.
I was going to kiss her, and I wanted her to understand this wasn’t some kind of obligation. This wasn’t for show. There was no audience here, no Alexander to convince. Just the two of us in the dark, and the truth I’d been fighting for weeks.
Her lips parted and I heard the soft intake of her breath as I leaned across the console, using the gentle pressure of my hand to draw her toward me. She came willingly, her eyes wide and luminous in the dim light, locked on mine until the last possible second.
When my mouth met hers, the world outside ceased to exist.
The kiss started slow. A gentle press of lips at first, but Raina’s response was immediate, her mouth opening beneath mine, and whatever restraint I’d been holding onto dissolved in an instant.
I deepened the kiss, tasting her, losing myself in the soft sounds she made against my lips. My hand tightened at the back of her neck, angling her head so I could kiss her more thoroughly. She responded with equal fervor, her fingers fisting in the front of my shirt, pulling me closer across the awkward barrier of the console.