Page 23 of The Way We Collide

“It’s funny. Growing up, I never really cared about money. You might say it’s because I’ve always had it, and that’s a privilege. It’s true. My family is wealthy, and I’ve never had to worry about my next meal. But I also think it’s my personality. I’m not afraid to work hard, and I’ll do pretty much any job… within reason, of course.”

His brow furrows, and I know I’m rambling. “That’s good, I guess?”

“Yes, well…” I inhale a shaky breath. “Having Haddy sort-of changed all of that. You’d be surprised by how little money starting meteorologists at local news stations are paid, and well…”

“You need me to give you money?” He brightens.

With a wince, I shake my head. “I don’t want a handout. I want to support myself, and you didn’t ask for this…”

“You didn’t either.”

“Still, I could’ve…” My chest tightens as I consider the alternative. “I could’vehandledit as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Maybe that would’ve been smart, but I just couldn’t. I really wanted her.”

“Shit, Rave.” His tone gentles, and he takes a step closer. “I wouldn’t have asked you to do that. Just because I didn’t want a baby doesn’t mean I would’ve told you to end it.”

My lips part on my exhale, and I’m glad Dylan has Haddy because I am freaking out right now over what I’m about to say.

“I have a solution. It’s completely unorthodox, but I hope you’ll hear me out and at least consider it. I think it’ll work, because we get along so well…”

“What is it?” His head is tilted, and that look in his eye gives me the one, tiny push I need to say it.

“Hendrix Bradford, will you marry me?”

The room falls silent—except, the hum of the dishwasher, which is suddenly very loud.

He blinks twice, and I realize it might’ve been nicer to wait a day before hitting him with another life-changing tidal wave.

Oh, well. Too late now.

“Ahh…” He takes a step back. “Sounds like somebody forgot my two-date rule.”

He grins doing finger guns, and I have to give him credit. He’s pretty good at rolling with the punches.

“When my mother died, she left me a trust fund of six million dollars.” I inhale a fortifying breath as I try to explain. “Theonly problem is I can’t touch it until either my father dies or I get married. And while I really want to be financially independent, I’m not planning to knock off my dad.”

His brow lowers, and I force a strangled laugh. “That was a joke.”

He turns, walking to the large, stainless steel work table in the center of the room. His hand is still on his stomach when he looks back at me. “Fuck, Rave, is that even legal?”

“Knocking off my dad?”

“Putting rules like that on a trust fund. How can she say you can’t access it until your dad dies or you get married? Who does that?”

“My mother was an extremely controlling person, and as much as I love my dad, he never defended me.” My jaw tightens, and that old bitterness stings in my throat. “Believe me, I would never come here and ask you this if I had any other choice. I never even wanted her ‘control-Raven’ money… Until now.”

The way Haddy looks at me sometimes with so much faith. It hits me hard when I know how little I have to offer her. She’s so dependent, and it didn’t take long for me to realize I’d do anything to keep her safe and secure, including this.

Frowning, he rubs his stomach as he thinks. “Wouldn’t it be easier if I just paid you child support? Then you could hire a nanny or whatever until you got on your feet?”

My body is tense, my neck tight. “That could take years, whereas my trust fund would take care of everything now. You wouldn’t have to worry about us ever again.”

“I don’t want that.” He looks in the direction of the doors. “I want to know my daughter. Now that I’ve met her.”

Blinking up at him, I start slowly. “If you’d be willing to give me one year…”

“A year!”

“Six months?” I quickly shave it down. “Three months—and I’ll say it’s my fault. I don’t like football or I don’t like LAor I’m too far from home—whatever reason you prefer. Then we’ll get a quickie divorce, and it’ll all be over.”

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