Chapter 35 #2
I looked down at our joined hands and took a deep breath.
“Why do we always go back to my place? Not that I mind, of course. I love having you there. I just… You’ve never invited me over to yours, and I was curious, I guess.
I’m sorry if that’s stupid.” It had been nagging at me for a few weeks, but I never found the time to ask.
My cheeks were turning red, and I wished I could have jumped out of the car. I never should’ve said anything. What if she thought I was ungrateful or something? Don’t be ridiculous, B!
Her hand froze and she looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite name. “I… uhh…”
After what felt like several minutes of contemplating, she cleared her throat and put a soft smile on her perfect lips. “Any excuse I was about to give wouldn’t have been a good one. I can explain more once we get there.”
I looked at her, not missing the meaning behind her words. “Drea—”
“Blair.” She squeezed my hand. “I want you there, okay? I’m sorry I haven’t asked you sooner. It’s a habit, but it wasn’t my intention to… I would love for you to come over. Should I prepare the guest room?”
“Only if you’re sleeping in there with me.” I answered hesitantly. Of course I wanted to, but why was she being so weird about it? I wanted to know the real reason she hadn’t had me over yet. Was she ashamed of where she lived? Was she a slob? Did she have—
The questions swirling in my head died off as we turned onto a driveway that seemed to go on forever. It was surrounded by lines of trees, and that made it seem like you were driving down a back road, not a driveway to someone's house.
Finally, after what seemed like another mile of driving down the driveway, the largest house I had ever seen came into view. I didn’t think my brows could raise any more as I turned to look at Drea, who was slightly shaking. What is going on?
I tried to speak, but I could only sputter out a few words. “What… You live… Huh?!”
She chuckled, but I didn’t miss the redness coating her cheeks. Why was she embarrassed? Because she was rich? No—not rich… filthy fucking rich?
“Okay, I’m sorry if this seems rude, but what the actual fuck?!”
She groaned. I was still confused as to why she seemed so weird. “Can we talk inside, please? I’ll explain everything.”
I nodded as she walked around the car to open my door for me. She took my hand as I stepped out and pulled me closer to her, nearly taking all the air out of my lungs. She always had a way of doing that.
“I had a really great time tonight, and I hope my weirdness hasn’t ruined the mood. Tonight was… special to me, and I don’t want it to end.”
A rock lodged itself in my throat. I wasn’t used to seeing Drea so vulnerable, and I didn’t know what to make of it. All I could do was smile and accept the kiss she offered me. I found out early on that as much as I tried to, I couldn’t deny her anything. If she wanted it, it was hers.
“Tonight was perfect,” I said when she broke the kiss.
“Thank you. I can’t believe you planned all of that for me.
But this house…” I took in a breath and shook my head.
It just didn’t make sense. She owned a small bookstore and drove a tiny purple car.
None of it was adding up. “I just don’t understand. ”
“I know. I should have brought you sooner… I should have explained things sooner, but I just…” I turned to see if she would say something else, but she didn’t. She shook her head and led us inside where any further words I had in my vocabulary swiftly died off.
As soon as I walked in, the largest space greeted me. It was lit by a giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and straight ahead of me was a double staircase. I was almost convinced that I’d open a door and find a library straight out of a Disney movie.
I was truly speechless. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve been upset that she had hidden this from me, and I was more confused as to…
how?! Math wasn’t my strong suit, but I was pretty sure bookstore owners didn’t make millions.
Apparently, I didn’t know jack shit, because there I was in basically a mini version of the White House.
She led me to a living room that looked bigger than the bookstore. She sat on a tan couch and motioned for me to sit next to her, which I obliged.
“The house was a gift,” she started, and my eyes nearly fell out of my head.
“I’m sorry… a gift?!” Who the hell gave someone a mansion the size of the White House as a gift?!
She nodded. “When I moved here, my parents didn’t want me staying with friends or in some strange hotel. They wanted me to be comfortable and have my own space.”
“Naturally.” I nodded, as if I had a fucking clue how to relate.
She sighed. “My father was a cybersecurity expert in the military. And my mother is the CEO of my grandparents’ jewelry company.
“So you’re like super rich? Richy Rich! No, wait! Regina Rich!”
She chuckled and kissed my cheek. “I inherited the money when I turned twenty-three. I purchased the bookstore with the money, but I have worked my ass off to get it where it is now. I don’t flaunt my money. No one knows I live here besides my close friends, Skylar, and now you.”
“Wait… Kaia doesn’t know? She works for you. And what about Cara?”
She shook her head. “No, neither of them know. It took me almost two years of being with Skylar to bring her around and let her see all of me. I don’t want to be treated differently because of my family’s money, and it takes me a lot to trust someone enough to let them in.
Fallon and Penelope are my family, and now Mackenzie is, of course, and while Kaia works for me, and I would consider us friends, as well as Cara, I don’t know, I just…
” She shook her head again, seemingly trying to shake whatever emotions were building up away.
It takes me a lot to trust someone enough to let them in…
Her words kept replaying while she spoke.
Her ex hadn’t known about this big part of her life until they were together for years, and here I was, someone she hadn’t even known that long, not really known, sitting on her couch while she opened up about an important part of herself she kept hidden from the world.
So many emotions were running through me. I had to fight hard to tamp down the tears that were so desperate to spill out.
“But why?” I asked softly. “Why keep this big part of your life hidden?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I… I don’t want someone to try and take advantage of me because they think I just have money to throw away.
If I did, I wouldn’t need to do a signing to get people in the door.
I try not to use my family’s money unless I absolutely need to.
I don’t want to depend on them for anything.
They’ve already given me so much, most of which I didn’t ask for and certainly don’t want.
I want to make my own way in the world.”
“What did they give you that you don’t want?” I asked, unable to help myself. She was opening up to me, and I would get every drop of information I could. Any scrap of what made Drea tick I would collect and hoard forever.