Page 130 of The Baby Bargain
Yeah, I'm taller, broader, more tattooed.
But the dude is a doctor. He's an educated guy who can keep up with her and buy her the kind of home she deserves.
I do all right, but I'm not destined for a three-hundred-thousand-dollar salary.
Thank fuck he's dull. At least as far as Instagram is concerned.
Phillip Nguyen's profile might as well saymedicine is my life.
He mostly posts pictures of dinner. Or selfies with his fellow interns.
That's where it's obvious—he's lacking the spark he had a few months ago.
She's that spark. Anyone could see it. Everyone sees it.
I wish I could grab that spark, that I was capable of loving someone without ruining them. But look at where Grace is now compared to where she was when I left.
Look how well Hunter is doing now that I'm out of his life (more or less).
Facts are obvious.
God, I should probably warn Holden and Forest. Tell them Inked Hearts buying Oddball is bad for them. They're better off finding anywhere else to work.
Or maybe I should quit. I'm the problem. If I remove myself from the situation, the problem goes away.
Buzz.
Ariel: Did you really offer to buy Oddball?
Chase: Not exactly.
Ariel: Do you have that kind of money?
Chase: The shop is looking to expand.
Ariel: Don't do this for me.
Chase: I'm not.
I'm doing it for me. Because it makes me feel good. Because I want a percentage of the new shop. Because I want to see Inked Hearts take over the state of California.
Maybe I don't participate, but I still care. I want this place to bloom.
I want Hunter to bloom.
I want my mom to bloom.
Grace—I want that for her too. It's not like I'm hoping the people who hurt me fail.
This might be a big risk, but it's a smart one. Even if it makes my life harder.
The more Forest is around, the quicker he'll discover our lie.
As long as the fallout is—
He's going to find out eventually.
But I—
