Page 46 of Always Knew It Was You

Don’t trust anyone else to care about your personal goals or ambitions. Expect most people, especially Micah, to act on their whims without consideration of how it would affect anyone but themselves.

The only exceptions to those rules are goodhearted people like Mrs. Peach, Emma, and her grandfather.

Definitely not someone like Micah Landing.

I don’t think Micah is intentionally malicious, but he’s selfish at heart and seems to lack the ability to see things from any perspective except his own.

I could tell from the second he told me the story about his dad and painted the older man in such a wholly villainous light. Not to say that his dad is perfect, but he at least seems to care about Micah’s future and Micah didn’t see that as a good thing.

I guess I’m not the best judge of parents though. I didn’t have the best example, so my assessment is likely skewed in that regard. I mean, the very fact that Micah’s father seems to care whether he’s alive or dead puts him leagues ahead of my folks.

But that’s all beside the point. The thing is, I decide to let go of my bitterness because it’s essentially pointless to be angry at Micah. I need to accept who he is and behave accordingly.

So, I immediately email Emma, telling her that I’m out of town and won’t be able to cover my shift tomorrow. Emma is, of course, overly understanding and tells me not to worry about it, but I email Yule too, so he can make sure I’m added to the roster on my day off. And then, I email my professors to let them know I’ll be unable to attend tomorrow’s classes. Luckily only one of the classes has mandatory attendance and I’m currently doing well in it, and have a great rapport with the professor. She emails me back instantly, informing me that she won’t mark my absence against me, but adding that I shouldn’t make a habit of it. I send her a message assuring her I won’t.

With that done, I return to the living room, where Micah is receiving a brown paper bag from a delivery man and placing it on the table, where two glasses of wine already sit.

“Done with what you need to do?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I respond, then gesture to the bag in his hand. “What’s that?”

“Chinese food. Emma told me that was your favorite.”

“You asked Emma what my favorite food was?”

“Yeah. Right after she threatened to cut off my balls if I ever hurt you.”

My eyes flare open and then I sigh. I should have known. Even though I got her to back down on the tuition, it was probably too much to ask Emma to stay out of my relationship with Micah completely.

Micah doesn’t look bothered by her involvement though. On the contrary, he grins. “She explained it in detail too. Told me she watched a video on quartering bulls and she knew her way around garden shears. And then right after that, she told me about your particular fondness for soup dumplings. I got a bunch today.”

I shake my head, allowing a weak smile. “Thanks. For the dumplings that is. I was afraid you would order disgusting rich people food to test my taste buds.”

“I thought about it, but I think maybe I’ve tortured you enough.” He places the bag on the table, no longer looking at me when he adds, “Besides, I also wanted to apologize.”

That shocks me. “You did?”

“Yeah. I should have asked you if you had plans tomorrow, and I meant to, but it kind of slipped my mind.” He sends me an apologetic look. “I also didn’t think to ask what you wanted the money for either. It’s for college?”

The words are a peace offering, an invitation for me to share my story with him. But a part of me can’t forget what he said.

“Maybe to prove that you would still like me anyway.”

Ass. He’s likely right because despite his asshole nature I still can’t stay mad at him. Still, he doesn’t have to rub it in my face.

I should have known he would gloat and throw money in my face eventually. The rich and powerful can’t help it sometimes, and he probably felt the need to show me the gap between our socioeconomic statuses after losing control so thoroughly in bed.

I smile at the memory. Well, at least that’s one win for me. He looked so disheveled after we had sex, discombobulated and confused by his own loss of control.

I made him like that.

Little old Carly Huntley reduced the great Micah Landing to a one-minute man.

It’s probably why he was so acerbic after because he felt the need to reestablish his superiority. Whatever. I don’t care. I’ll suffer through all his attitude just to get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Even go to a stupid party full of elite snobs who will probably look down their nose at me.

In any case, I can’t let myself forget who Micah is, nor can I forget he’s playing a game. And I have to hold my cards to my chest too.

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