Page 13 of Triple Power Play 3
“Oh, no.” His shoulders slump. “It’s house shopping all over again.”
“Fuck!” Yet another realization strikes me, and my head swims.
How am I supposed to afford a house? At this rate, I won’t be able to afford groceries.
“Stop.” He cups my face in his hands, his thumb ghosting over my cheekbone. “It’s already paid for. Don’t think about it.”
I lean into his touch. It’s almost enough to quell the dread kicking at my chest, but he doesn’t understand. His account has many,manymore zeros than mine. He has a career and atrust fund. He’s never panicked about his bank balance or gone hungry or lost a childhood home.
My lips tremble. “I can’t walk the runway.”
The crease between his brows deepens. “You have in the past. You can in the future.”
“That’s where I earn the most money. The rest is only a daily stipend to wear the brand.”
“And?”
He’s trying hard to be supportive, but I’m an anxious, hormonal mess.
“I have shit to pay, Jax.”
“Just breathe. What’s your biggest concern?” He gives me that boyish smile, confident and determined to get me through this freakout.
I take a deep, quivering inhale. “The nursing home.”
“Okay, good. How much is it?”
“Seven thousand a month.”
His jaw drops. “Seven thousand a month?” His voice rises, green eyes widening in utter disbelief. “That’s criminal.”
“Don’t I fucking know?” My throat constricts, and my vision blurs with tears. I have no chance with Ethan ifJacksonthinks it’s excessive.
“Oh, shit. Please don’t cry, babe. I’ll give you anything. You have nothing to worry about.” He frets over me, wiping away my tears with his knuckles and peppering my face with kisses.
“What the hell happened now?” demands a deep, familiar voice.
I sob harder, not wanting to upset him further.
“Thank fuck you’re here. She’s having a panic attack about paying for her grandmother’s nursing home.”
Ethan takes a seat across from us in one of the captain’s chairs, an unraised table in between. “Come here.”
Unable to speak, I shake my head. He’s dealt with me enough today.
He cocks his head and quirks a brow. “Who’s in charge here, Aurora?”
I rub at the ache in my sternum and climb onto his lap. Tears stream down my cheeks, my chest tightening at an alarming rate.
His large hand covers mine. “Jesus, your heart is pounding. Look at me.” Gray eyes bore into my soul. “I promise you, baby girl, I won’t let anything happen to your grandmother. Trust me. I know what it’s like to feel helpless when someone you love is sick. That must have been scary for you all alone.”
The fist gripping my chest loosens, and I nod.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.“Whatever she needs, we’ll get.”
I swallow the painful lump in my throat, nodding again.
He clasps the back of my neck in that possessive way of his. “Lie down and let me hold you. You’re exhausted. Did you sleep much last night?”
