The pace between us slowed down like I caught him off guard. “Do you think about this a lot?”

“If I have to answer, you do too.”

He nodded.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I think about what my mom wanted for me before she died. About my best friend, Kelly, moving on with her life at some point. Where I would be after that and what it is that I want for myself in the future.”

It wasn’t a lie. I did think about it a lot. What would happen when Kelly moved on? I never made extra friends or found any stability in being by myself. My mom left me her entire empire and I had no idea how to handle that.

Brent picked up the pace again and I caught a moment of his eyebrows furrowing. He was searching for the answer. “What does Brent Vaughn want? For so long, I think it’s been about living up to my grandfather’s expectations. I think a simple answer to my endgame question is to be free to make my own choices.”

I poked him. “Is that why you’re so broody all the time?”

“Ah, ah.” He waved his finger at me, eyes flashing with intensity. “My turn. What do you really think of me, Fallon?”

“Hmm.” I tapped my finger to my chin. “I think you’re a big oaf.” Laughing, I skated away from him.

My feet were tired, but I persisted in skating a few more rounds. Question for a question died out into silence, and I watched him in the comfortable ambiance of the music that played in the background.

I plopped onto a bench and pulled the skates off. My feet burned. The last time I was on the rink was far too long ago. It made me feel good to be back out here–my mom would have wanted me to.

Then again, I didn’t feel like I truly knew everything about my mother. She kept a lot from me and left me with things I wasn’t aware of.

Brent sat beside me and leaned into my shoulder. His chin dipped low, brushing my ear. “Hungry?” Shivers ran down my spine. His tone was far too sensual for the question he just asked.

I pulled back and eyed him.

He clapped a hand to my thigh. “Let’s go, Blondie.”

We drove away from the rink and into the darkened sky. I caught him looking over at me from the reflection in the window multiple times. It still confused me as to why he was showing such interest in me. I wasn’t special in any way.

And putting this much effort into sleeping with someone? Weird.