Page 160 of The Paid Wife: A Lesbian Romance
never meant to make Emily feel like she couldn’t be who she
really is or make her think I’m not proud of her.” It was said
with such sincerity that Dani couldn’t doubt it was true. “I
came to talk to you because I want you to help convince Emily
to come home.”
The knife in her chest was swift and brutal. Dani understood
why she’d built up the walls she had. It was to keep things like
this out. It was to keep herself from feeling that same utter
devastation she’d felt after her mom died and she was thrust
into the “care” of strangers who weren’t caring at all. She’d
made a few friends at first, with other kids, but when they
were ripped away too, or she was moved, it just got to be too
hard to always be the one who lost. Over and over again, that
loss was too much to bear.
Peter Radcliffe was a not-so-subtle reminder that Dani
hadn’t been careful with the heart that had never fully healed.
She’d forgotten why she was protecting herself. Dropping her
shield left her vulnerable to the many dangers out there. It left
her vulnerable to being the one left behind, the one left alone,
all over again.
How could I have forgotten? It’s so simple. So. Very. Simple.
Radcliffe cleared his throat. He seemed uncomfortable with
Dani’s silence. He took it as stubborn refusal because he
started to barter. “If you help convince Emily to come home,
really come home, I’ll sign a contract agreeing to pay your
lease on this store for the next ten years, no matter how many
rental increases come your way.”
Dani was disgusted, and she couldn’t hide her derision any
more than she could stop the horrible pounding of her heart.
“Actually,” she shot back, “I’m looking to buy a building.”
