Page 146 of Crystal Iris
“I told you, I was worried.”
“I’m fine. You can clear your conscience.”
“Aaron, you deserve to be happy. Don’t ruin your life because of me.”
“Because of you? Because of the woman I love and have loved since I was a teenager? Because of the woman I fought my parents my whole life for? Nothing else matters now, Iris.”
“Aaron, don’t say that. You’ll meet someone else. Your firm—you built that. Don’t let them take it from you.”
“I don’t give a shit about it. They can have it all.” He finishes his drink in one gulp.
“Aaron, please, I can’t see you like this. You have to move on.”
“Move on?”
“Yes. Talk to Lara, give Hoyt’s money back, fire her, prove you can handle your deals. Figure things out. Move on.”
“What would I get in return?”
“What?”
“If I make them give his money back?”
“What do you want?”I did not see that coming.
“A night with me.” He gives me a lazy smile.
“What?! No! I’m not sleeping with you.”
“Who said anything about sleeping? Just a date. One last time, you and me, for old times’ sake. I need… closure.”
“I’m not sleeping with you, Aaron!”
“I told you, it’s not the sex I’m after. I just want to…have my friend back, for one last night.”
“I don’t know, Aaron.”
“Your cowboy doesn’t need to know. You’re so good with secrets, I doubt he’d ever suspect.”
“Fuck you.”
“Fine, tell him. Iris, please? We owe each other that, don’t you think? A proper adult conversation, over dinner?”
I leave his place without giving him an answer.
Akira comes back holding two giant salads.
“Are you going?” she asks me at lunch.
“I don’t know. If he does give Hoyt’s money back, one dinner might be worth it.”
“Are you going to tell Hoyt?”
“Not yet. He’s in this mess because of me. And now he’s dealing with Johanna, his mom, Kai… and he’s been spending a lot of money. Who knows how much Mona cost. I’d feel better if I got his money back.”
“Are you sure Aaron isn’t just doing this to sleep with you? Or try to get you back?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
