Page 32 of Tempting-
She shoots me areallylook as she slides inside. "It has nothing to do with trust."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah, nothing." She clicks her seatbelt. Sets her purse in her lap. Plays with its strap. "No offense, Brendon, but don't you have more money than that?"
I can't help but chuckle. "I'm a humble craftsman."
"With a million-dollar house on the beach. Or, um, I guess I've never asked about your finances."
"Don't. I've got it under control."
Her lip corners turn down. "I... Did my parents offer to help you out?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"I turned them down."
"And you can afford that?"
"Yeah."
She stares at me, those green eyes wide. "If you don't convince me with some numbers, I'm going to start buying groceries. And trying to cook dinner. And no one wants that."
My chest warms. Kaylee's a terrible cook. It's the only thing she isn't good at. I nod. "That's horrifying."
"Yeah, even worse than what those assassins did to John Wick's dog."
Fuck, it's like she's trying to drive me out of my mind.
Kay always joins me when I watch action movies on the couch. She spends the entire time hiding behind her hands or complaining about how everyone is quick to violence, or about how the plot is incomprehensible, but she keeps watching them.
She doesn't like the movies.
She watches them to hang out with me.
Fuck, I'm not stupid.
I know she doesn't like me as a brother or a parent or a friend.
"My parents bought this place before I was born. Mortgage is almost paid off. And it's cheap. Based on the value from nearly thirty years ago." And they had good life insurance. My dad was careful before he was anything else.
"How cheap?"
"I can cover it in a week of work, easy."
"Oh. Good." She presses her lips together. "You probably know already."
I shake my head. The Harts didn't explain much. They didn't have to. I get it.
"They want to stay in Jersey. Permanently."
That's a knife in my chest. I can't imagine how she feels.
I turn the car on and pull onto the street. "I'm sorry, Kay."
"Thanks. I... I don't know. I guess, if they gave me the choice, I probably would have stayed here. But I hate feeling like I'm not in control of my life. And I missGrandma. She was my best friend when I was a kid. Still is."
