Maybe she’s responsible now. Maybe she hadn’t always been responsible.
“Jack?” Her soft voice carried from the doorway. “What are you doing?”
“I…” He stuffed the papers on the seat of the chair in front of him, then looked up.
Fear shone in her eyes. She rushed to the table and grabbed the pile of papers. “It’s rude to look through people’s things, you know.”
“Says the woman who’s looked through every drawer and closet of my home.”
She gasped, drawing back. “It’s my job.”
She was right. She would never be the type of person who would intentionally be nosy. But those bank statements had raised a big red flag. Combine that with the fact that she was working on weekends for extra money. It all made sense now.
“I’m sorry.” That wasn’t a lie. He wished he’d never seen those papers. But it had been exactly what he needed to get him focused. He was leaving. Sterling’s financial problems had nothing to do with him. They owed each other nothing.
Sterling slid the pile of paper between the microwave and the wall. When she turned to face him she crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
There was a hardness in her gaze. This was not the Sterling he’d grown to care for. “I think you owe me an explanation.”
“I’ve asked for nothing from you.”
He crossed his own arms. “You’re right. You didn’t ask. But I think you were hoping I’d find those bills and that I’d come to your rescue.”
“I am not a gold digger. I am not your mother.”
“You’re right. You’re not like my mother. At least she had track record of disappointing me and I shouldn’t have been surprised. You, on the other hand, spent all this time telling me how honorable and responsible I am. Was that your way of softening me up? If I’m so honorable you knew I would help you.”
“I don’t need anything from you, you arrogant jerk.”
Anger flared inside him. At himself. “You don’t need the money I’m paying you to pack up the house?”
Her eyes darted to the floor.
“By the looks of those demand letters, I think you do need something from me.”
He was the one who pushed the relationship. She had done her best to keep it professional but he’d persisted. She needed the money. That’s all she ever needed. And all this time, he was starting to believe that he was different. She made him believe he was different. But it was all an act.
She hung her head and brought her hands up to cover her face. “I want to be with you.” She mumbled through her fingers, “I just want you.”
Want. Want. Want. Everyone wanted something from him. His brothers wanted him to be more like them. His birth mother wanted his money. The world wanted to know every tiny detail of his life. And now Sterling, she wanted the worst thing of all. A commitment.
“You can’t have me, Sterling.”
A look of horror spread across her face and she hugged her body, wrapping her arms around her torso.
“By next week I’ll be gone.” He was being mean. He knew it. “I thought we had something good going here. We had an understanding. This was temporary.” Temporary. A strange feeling settled in his chest when he said the word. But he tamped it down. “I held up my end of the deal. I thought that you appreciated my efforts to get you to loosen up, have some fun.”
“I did—I do—appreciate it. Everything. But don’t tell me that you did those things for me.”
“Like I flew to Florida for myself.”
“You liked the way doing those things made you feel. Like you were redeeming yourself. Like they were your penance for a sketchy past.”
Was it true? Had he used her to make himself feel better?
Tears stung her eyes. “I think you should leave.” She nodded her head, emphasizing that she wholeheartedly agreed with her decision. “The house is done. The rest of the items will be picked up next week. I’m sure you can handle the rest.”
He nodded. “I’ll send you a check.”
She did a good job hiding her disgust at his response. It only barely registered on her face. But he’d spent enough time with her to know that she was holding back tears.
“Good-bye, Sterling.” Jack walked into the hall, his head high. When the door clicked behind him, he let it fall forward.
Just when he thought he had everything figured out, Sterling reminded him he was nothing without his money.
Chapter Thirteen
Jack gripped the file folders in his hands. It was presentation day and it was the first time in his life he actually felt nervous.