Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
HEATHER
Sitting on Mom’s white bubble sofa with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I sipped on my hot chocolate and rested my head on Hector’s shoulder. Fire crackled to my right, the gentle pattering of snow outside drifting through my ears.
Hector sighed beside me, the fire glowing in his eyes.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. Everyone else had left the party about an hour ago—even Dad and Evelyn—but I lingered with Hector because … it was nice to be able to be around my family, not having to hide.
The fire warmed my face. After I exchanged a few soft glances with Hector, he set his hot chocolate on the coffee table and took my hand. Snow continued to fall outside the window, creating a blanket of white on Mom s front lawn.
“I want to talk to you about something.”
Nerves fizzed in my stomach. “What is it?”
“What are your plans after you graduate?”
After taking a small sip of my drink, I swallowed. “Is this about me being your full-time submissive?”
No, this is about your future.
My lips curled into a frown. “I don’t know. Find a job at a company, doing business?”
“I thought you didn’t like business school.”
I do, but I sighed. You heard my dad tonight at the party. My brother is off building his own company, and Dad is trying to force me into yours. I think he thinks that I don t have a plan for after I graduate, and he s right. I don t know what I want to do.
“That’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” I said. “I have one more semester left of graduate school. I’m twenty-four.”
“I didn’t have my life figured out at twenty-four,” he said.
“Yeah, but that’s different.”
How? Hector pushed. Steven was off building his own company right out of high school. He went to college, was offered funding by all these investors, but he turned it down, and he sold his company a couple of years ago for over a billion dollars.
I twisted on the couch and stared at him.
“Heather …” He pushed some hair out of my face. “You can do anything. At any time.”
After sighing because it was easier to not have my life together than to do something I loved and fail at it, I rested my forehead on Hector s shoulder. I think it d be cool to have my own company, but the idea of starting from scratch intimidates me.
“What about it intimidates you?”
“I’d be responsible for my own success and my own failures.”
“And?”
“And what if I found no success at all?”
Then, you d still be doing something that you love. Then, you would ve tried when most people don t try at all. He paused. What if you do succeed, Heather? What if you do something that you love for the rest of your life? How would you feel then?
A nervous laugh bubbled up from my stomach.
“Huh?”
“I’d be happy.” My smile faltered. “But do you think I can actually do it?”
Your dreams are worth pursuing, no matter what anyone else thinks. Only you can make them come true and only you will care about them as much as you do. Other people won t care about your goals, nor will they put forth as much effort to achieve them.
“Once we’re finally open with our relationship,” I whispered—that was, if we ever ended up being open and not a secret in front of Dad—“then I want you to be proud of me. I don’t want to be a disappointment.”
The only way you ll disappoint me is if you don t try. Your happiness depends on you.
“But that’s so scary,” I murmured.
“Well, it’s good that I’ll be there to support you through it all. Huh?”
A mixture of emotions welled within me-fear, hope, and determination. But above all else was the gratitude that I had for Hector. Even though my insecurities continued to plague me he stayed by my side and supported me, no matter what. He made me feel like I could conquer any challenge that lay ahead of us-both in my professional and in our personal life.
The fire crackled and cast dancing shadows across the room.
“It’s getting late.”
After setting my hot chocolate on the coffee table, I stood and headed over to the front entrance to grab our coats from the closet. Mom lingered by the doorway, sipping on a coffee, even this late.
My cheeks warmed at the thought of her watching me with a man twice my age, but she hadn’t said much more to me since our original talk a couple of nights ago. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. She, at least, hadn’t told Dad yet.
“You look so happy,” she whispered. “I haven’t seen a smile that big in a long time.”
“Mom,” I said, even more embarrassed, “not in front of him.”
“Oh, he can’t hear me over the fire.” She waved my comment off. “When you told me about your relationship with Hector, I was nervous that he had all the wrong intentions with you. But I’ve known him for a long time, and I have never seen him so at peace than I have tonight. He’s tender with you.”
My lips curled into a smile, more butterflies fluttering around inside me.
“I love him,” I whispered.
“You should tell him.”
“But what if he doesn’t say it back?”
She laughed. “Oh, Heather, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”