Page 66 of Rich Girl
“No way!”
“It’s true,” she grins. “Cal loves shocking people by telling them his girlfriend is his stepsister.”
“Oh my God!”
I try to cover my mouth with my hands so she wouldn’t see my grin.
“We didn’t grow up together, nothing gross happened,” she assures me. “I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. He was in college, wanted nothing to do with me. I avoided himfor years after. We reconnected last year. He found me on theHolidatesapp and lost his mind over it.”
I now press my hands to my chest. “That is the sweetest!”
“TheHolidatesapp is a good omen,” she points at me. “It brought me and Cal together. And now, it brought you and Ray together. Isn’t it amazing?”
She goes back to working on my dress, leaving me with too much time to ponder. After the night when I confessed to Ray about my lying, I planned on leaving. I didn’t tell him I would, but I didn’t think there was a reason for me to stay. My work at Evie’s flower shop was useless, and Ray’s small apartment was driving me crazy.
The next morning, I felt Ray when he got out of bed. He moved around as he washed up and got dressed to leave for work. He came and sat on the bed for the longest time. I could feel his eyes on me as I struggled not to move. When he sighed and placed the softest kiss on my lips, my heart broke a little. It gave me this feeling of foreboding, like he was about to walk out of my life forever.
As soon as he walked out of the apartment, my eyes snapped open. The thought of leaving here and never coming back, never seeing Ray again, gutted me. I couldn’t do it.
So, I did the only logical thing given the situation. I pretended that the night before never happened. I got out of bed and prepared for another day of work. I walked into Evie’s flower shop like I hadn’t had a meltdown only twenty-four hours prior, and got to work on the task she’d given me.
It’s been over two weeks since that day, and none of us have brought it up, not Evie, not Ray, and most definitely not me.
My cell phone vibrating in my pocket distracts me from my thoughts about my stay here.
“Evie,” I call out to her when I notice who’s calling me. “Do you mind if I step outside to take this? It’s a friend from back home.”
“No, go ahead. I’ll finish this and walk it over.”
With a quick wave, I’m out.
“Jeanine,” I greet my friend, happy to hear her voice. “It’s so good to hear from you.”
“Girl, you’re scaring me,” she starts. “I have Emma with me.”
“Ahhhh!” I let out a long happy cry. “I miss you! Adeline too!”
“What in the world is going on, Hayden?” Emma bursts my bubble. “Jeanine says you’ve been kidnapped and taken to New York. Are you okay?”
“I was not kidnapped,” I yell out. “I can’t believe you’d say that to people, Jeanine,” I chastise her.
“What else am I supposed to think?” Jeanine defends herself. “You’ve been gone for a month, Hayden! This is crazy. You need to come home.”
“I can’t come home just yet.”
The words taste bitter in my mouth. I am not ready to leave here anytime soon. Each day deepens the connection I have with Ray. I don’t want to lose that.
“They won’t let you leave?” Emma’s voice sounds incredulous. “I was skeptical before, but maybe weshouldcall the police.”
“There is no one else. I’m just here with Ray…”
“Is this the guy you found on the app?” Emma inquires.
“Yes.”
“Is he holding you there against your will?” is her next question.
“Absolutely not! I love being here with him.”
