Page 59 of Worth the Rush
“I don’t know him. He was just my partner who I had no say in.” He sighs.
I hate this. I can’t be here. I feel sick to my stomach, and I might throw up, but I will die before I let Alder take care of me.
“I’m leaving.”
“Where are you going?” Alder asks quietly.
“I’m leaving Silverthorne.”
“Hold on, princess. Just?—”
“Do not. Call me that. Again,” I reply in a hushed but lethal tone. He doesn’t want to mess with me right now. “I’ll be gone in three days. I need to see my father and clear some things up, and I can’t be here. I can’t see you.” I rush by him, trying to flee.
“The resort is yours,” he calls when I’m a few steps down the hall. I whip my head around back to him.What the hell?“Don’t leave. Please,” he pleads, but I can’t focus on the anguish in his eyes. I can only think about what he’s said about the resort.
“What are you talking about?”
He clears his throat before he speaks again, “The Edgemont. It’s yours. If you want it,”
“How? That doesn’t make any sense,” I begin.
“I bought it.” His words hang in the air between us.
“You…bought it? How?”
“I bought out your father. I don’t want another partner unless it’s you,” he says earnestly. The awful truth is that I believe him.
“Why? Why wouldn’t you tell me? Why should I stay?” My voice comes out barely above a whisper.
“Because I wanted it for you. I wanted to be able to present it to you before I asked you to stay. It’s yours now. That last one is a little more complicated to answer,” he says, rubbing at his neck. The why I should stay. The question I so desperately want his answer to. I look at him. This man who I have been falling so hard for without even knowing it for the past few months. He’s still Alder. He’s still here. I’m still helplessly in love with him. But now, he’s also a man who lied, and he can’t give me the answer I need to hear now. He doesn’t know why I should stay, and he doesn’t know why he wants me to. I feel my heart squeeze. I didn’t even know that I wanted to hear the three words until he didn’t say them. I could crumple, but instead, I feed the fire, I feed my anger.
“I don’t want it,” I spew at him. Then I turn on my heel and leave.
Ihaven’t spoken to or seen Ivy in two days, but it may as well have been two years. She told me she was leaving Silverthorne, and all I’ve really been able to do is sulk over it. I can feel the distance she’s putting between us. It’s like my heart’s being ripped from my chest with every one of my calls that she sends to voicemail and each one of my texts that goes unanswered. I stopped by her cabin, but she wasn’t there. I panicked, thinking she’d left, but later, I got a text from Florence telling me that she was staying at the hotel for a couple of nights.
Baby Lo
She’s at the hotel.
Alder
Is she alright?
Baby Lo
She hasn’t really said much other than she didn’t really feellike talking.
Alder
Okay, thanks, Baby Lo. Please keep me in the loop.
Baby Lo
Nope. Sorry, sweet brother of mine. I’m not going to keep tabs on her for you. I only told you she was here, so you knew you still had a shot. The rest is between you two.
Alder
That’s fair. Thank you. Love you.
