When he finally spoke, he dropped another truth bomb right on top of the others he’d detonated in the last few minutes. “You were never on the hook for all of it, Patrice.” He waved his hand in the empty space between us. “We’re both supposed to be getting something out of this. You learn from me and I learn from you. Reciprocal, that’s how all relationships should be. I like to hang out with you because you want me to do well and you take my dreams seriously, even if they may not make total sense to you. That’s all I need.” After that, he stretched and looked over at the kitchen.

“I’ll go make us some tea, and I’ll give you the details about my case so you can tell Easton.” I just nodded woodenly at him while his words were wreaking havoc in my head.

I thought of my mom, and how I had always felt like a burden to her even though she never once made me feel that way. How my father’s absolute disinterest puzzled and humiliated me. How I never felt like I quite gave as much to my friends as they did to me. Then thought of the joy I felt seeing Easton light up with my touch. The ways that the heat is his eyes when he told me how much he wanted me felt like it would burn me. I wondered what it would be like to let down my walls and just own that despite all the reasons why it was complicated to want Easton, I still did.

I’d never know until I did and there was no denying that I desperately wanted to try.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Easton

I drove up to my parent’s house in Cayuga Heights and as soon as I got there I remembered why I hated coming to these parties. There was valet parking, of course. I sighed as I passed the long line of luxury cars parked along the street, because heaven forbid any of these people should walk the four-hundred yards from their cars to my parents’ door.

I noticed the valet was our old housekeeper’s grandson, Martin. I went in for a one-armed hug instead of handing him my keys. “Hey man, making some extra cash for college?”

The kid grinned at me and gave me a back slap as he passed me a ticket. “Yeah, it’s coming up soon.”

I smiled at his sunny face; he’d always been such a happy kid. “Dude, you’re miles ahead of most high school kids. I didn’t pull in a steady paycheck until it was absolutely necessary,” I said jokingly.