Page 67 of Awestruck at Dusk
I looked away and shook my head twice, fast, just to brush off that mood off me, and asked him about the paperwork my father made him sign.
“I signed off on an NDA, which I’ve already breached by telling you this.” He laughed a low, lazy laugh. “And another contract, stating I can hold on to the keys for twelve months unless the contract is renewed. With rules and such. I don’t want to bore you to death with the specifics.”
“And what are the consequences of having breached the NDA?” I was worried. Not that I would tell on him, of course, but what if my father had a way to find out William told me about this? And now Zara and Nina knew too.
Zara could easily mention it to Nathan, andhe was my father’s bestie. But after tonight, my father made it clear that yes, he loves Nathan, but there’s a line of authority that no one can step on. Not even Nathan.
“Aside from losing your father’s respect? An economic penalty,” he said, not a pinch of worry on his face.
“What? How much money are we talking about here?”What the fuck.
“Nothing I can’t comfortably pay off,” he said with a frown. “Not that I’m looking forward to it, of course.”
My father never ceased to amaze me—the things he did behind my back. I wonder whatthingshad gone back and forth between him and Nathan, because I was now convinced there had to be at least something there, a contract, an agreement, a pact, or something. Like the good lawyer he is, Nathan would never admit to any of it, even if I begged for him to tell me. So I would never know. William, as always, didn’t give two shits.
And I’m not going to lie; itwasreassuring to know that William had a key. I knew there was no way something like what happened with Thomas could happen again, but if William had access to my apartment that day, maybe things would’ve been different. Maybe Caleb wouldn’t have died.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because it’sridiculous,” he spat back the words. Almost furious. “It’s just a spare key. And the fact that your father gave it to me means that he trusts me or else he wouldn’t have even offered it to me.
“I literally took a bullet for you,” he reminded me as if somehow I’d be able to forget about it. “That should’ve been enough for him. But it wasn’t. He needed paperwork.” William laughed again and ran a hand up and down his face. “This made me realize how deep his fears are ingrained when it comes to you. And I don’t like it.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to this kind of stuff.” Or better said, I was getting used to it.
“You shouldn’t.”
I know! But what was I to do? I depended on my father economically. I was still studying, and I didn’t even have to ask him to know that I wouldn’t be allowed to work while I got my degree. I didn’t even know if I would be allowed to work at all after graduation.
I was trapped, and I had made my peace with it. Living here on my own, under his terms, was the best available choice for me until I graduated and found a way to become financially independent, whether he agreed to it or not.
But I didn’t share my thoughts with him. Instead, I said, “I won’t say a word to my father about this. Or anyone else,” just to reassure him. “I’ll talk to Nina, and you should probably talk to Zara.”
“Zara wouldn’t dare tell a soul.”
Right.
“Well, you’re safe then, I guess.” I hoped. “Thanks for getting the door. I’ll send Zara over to you in a minute.” I turned around and walked away.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked. “I heard you were sick.”
“I’m—yeah,” I said, looking over my shoulder. “I just had too much to drink.”
“It pisses me off that I can’t take care of you,” he said, sauntering my way. I looked away but froze in place, careful not to go into the surveillance camera’s detection area.
“I’m fine. I don’t need to be taken care of.”
“Why isn’t Nathan here?” he asked. I turned around because I was sure he would walk around me and position himself in front of me anyway. “Why would he leave when you were sick just before? I don’t get the guy. And on your birthday?”
“He wasn’t allowed access tonight, that’s why,” I replied, not wanting to give him an extended explanation, but just enough for him to stop grilling me with his questions. I didn’t need William to trash-talk Nathan either. Not when Nathan wanted to be here if he could.
“Denied access? Why? What did he do?”
“William …stop.”
“Thenwhathappened?” he asked, his gaze moving from my face to my necklace, spotting it for the first time.
“Nathan’s drunk, and my father didn’t want him coming up because of it, okay. That’s it.”
