Page 34 of Crazy Pucking Love
“That’s some James Bond shit,” I said. “Are you a secret agent?”
Megan wrapped her hand around my arm and leaned in, her curves pressing into my side and giving me flashbacks of waking up with her next to me in bed. “Shhh. I’m a very dangerous person, and if my cover gets blown now, it’ll be very bad for us both.”
She tugged me farther through the store,oohingandahhingat the clothes. “Looks like it’s more geared toward guys.” She grabbed a shirt from the rack and held it up to me, the top of the hanger almost jabbing me in the eye.
I jerked back, placing a hand between my eye and the metal hook. “Woman, I swear, if I survive our friendship with my eye intact, it’s going to be a miracle.”
“Sorry,” she said with a laugh.
“Yeah, the laughter is making me doubt the sincerity.”
That only made her laugh harder. “Well, I did warn you that I was dangerous.”
The girl was dangerous as far as a lot of things in my life were concerned—Beck would want more than an eye if he found out what kind of thoughts I was having about his little sister on a daily basis.
She bit her lip and fiddled with her earring.
Make that a minute-to-minute basis.
She spun to the shoe rack. “What size are you?”
“I don’t need new shoes. You should find a pair you like.”
“I can’t even fit another pair of shoes in my closet. If I buy a new pair, I’d have to kick out one of my favorites to go live with Beckett—he’s letting me use a closet at his place for now.”
Another reminder of her brother. Just what I need.
We wandered the rest of the store, and Megan hugged a pair of shoes that were apparently a steal at ninety-five dollars—she said the brand like it meant something, but it didn’t click with me.
“If I were going to buy a pair of sneakers for that much,” I said. “I’d have to steal them.”
Her face paled and she loosened her grip on the shoes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She definitely had to work for the smile she gave me.
“I’m not actually going to steal them.”
The worker in the corner’s head perked up, like he’d heard us say the word “steal” although I was sure he hadn’t from way over there.
“I didn’t think…” She grabbed for the nearest coat, folding the hanger down before extending it to me. “Try this on.” Since she seemed distraught for reasons I didn’t understand, I did, even though the price tag almost made me choke.
“Looks hot on you,” she said, nodding her approval.
And suddenly I was thinking of buying a $400 coat I didn’t even need, or even like that much. Just the fact that Megan didn’t seem to freak at the prices, made me worry that I’d never be enough for a girl like this if we did cross into more. Judging by the story she told me about her parents and the company her family owned, she obviously came from money.
I hung the coat back up. “You mentioned that you’d always have a job at your dad’s company. But if you decide that’s not really what you want, will your aunt help you out? You said she’s not very supportive in general.”
“Once I turned eighteen, I got my trust fund. She has no say over where my money goes anymore, so at least there’s that. My parents also planned for college, so luckily I have a lot of time to decide which field I want to go into. I’m lucky because I own several shares of D&T Pharmaceuticals, and it was set up so that the board could run it if needed—which is what they’re doing now. So if I decide to work there, it’ll be because that’s what I want, not because I’ve been pressured into it.”
Yeah. Coming from money is an understatement. Trust fund is about as mythical as a unicorn where I come from.
This was good. I could focus on all the reasons it wouldn’t work out. All our differences.
I’d grown up with second-hand clothes, my hockey gear the only splurge, but that was also in better times, when my parents weren’t quite as strapped for money. With my sisters getting older and closer to college age, I was sure that only caused more stress.
I had a responsibility to my family to pay them back for letting me take this opportunity, even though they needed me at home. The backup plan was already taking several hits—I had about a week to drop classes without it screwing over my GPA, and I might have to do that.
