Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl(79)

“Really?” I ask. “I wasn’t positive.”

“Well, I took a few accounting classes so I could help the owner of that grocery store I worked at during senior year, and I learned enough to know that not all of these numbers are matching up on some of the documents. Plus, I’m pretty sure some of these accounts don’t exist unless your dad owns a dance club in Hawaii, which I’m fairly sure he doesn’t.”

“He doesn’t,” I say, stretching out beside her.

“That’s what I thought.” She looks up at me and hands me my phone. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know yet.” I scratch my chest.

I left my shirt off last night but put on a pair of drawstring pajama bottoms. Usually, I sleep naked. But I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable her first night here. I’ll save the nakedness for later when she wants to strip down with me. Well, as long as she doesn’t freak out again and put an end to us, something I’m still a little concerned about.

“What do you think I should do? Honestly, I want to blackmail him back, but I’d like the opinion of a more levelheaded thinker.”

“You think I’m a levelheaded thinker?” she questions, hugging her knees to her chest.

I tug on a strand of her hair. “You talked me out of thinking we were living in a canvas, didn’t you?”

“I almost forgot about that … Still, I’m not sure if I should tell you what to do with this one.” She rests her chin on her knees. “If you want my opinion, though, I’ll give it to you.”

I nod, moving in front of her. “I want your opinion more than anyone else’s.”

Another smile. Another prize I feel like I’ve won.

She stretches out her legs, putting one on each side of me before scooting closer to me. “Well, I think I can probably give you the same speech you’ve been giving me for the last few months, only insert mom with dad. So here goes.” She clears her throat. “You need to get away from your dad. He’s never been good to you, and him trying to control what you do isn’t right.”

“Yeah, but what if he’s right? What if I need direction in my life?”

“You bought your first house when you were eighteen. I’m pretty sure you’re on the right path.”

I waver. “Or I’m just another spoiled rich kid.”

“Trust me; you are in no way, shape, or form like Titzi.” She slides closer until her ass is between my legs and her hands are on my shoulders. “That girl is stupid. Your father is stupid. Anyone who has ever doubted you is just plain stupid.”

And there it is, the reason I fell in love with her.

I roll my tongue in my mouth. “Fine. I get what you’re saying, but I just have one more question.”

“Okay. What?”

“Can I keep you, like, forever?”

Her eyes widen. “Beck …”

“What?” I give her my best innocent look. “It’s a reasonable question, especially when you’re so damn valuable. Why would I ever want to give you up?”

She rolls her eyes. “Now you’re just being cheesy.”

“Admit it. You like my cheesiness.”

“Maybe just a little.”

We’re both smiling like idiots, but I put a stop to the goofiness as I go in for a kiss, dragging her into my lap.

By the time our lips part again, my dad has tried to call me seventeen times.

“Do you want to do the honors?” I ask Willow with my phone in my hand. “Or should I?”

“I think this is something you should do. It’ll be therapeutic after all those years he’s beaten you down.”

I feel restless as I stare at my dad’s name in my contact list.

“You’ll be okay,” she insists, kneeling on the bed in front of me. “Just call him up and tell him you have some of his files that you’d really like him to see. And do it in your best mobster voice.”

Nodding, I press my finger to his name then put the phone to my ear. He answers after two rings and immediately starts screaming that I’m supposed to be at the office. When he finally takes a breath, I tell him what I need to, and for the first time in my life, he listens.

In the middle of the conversation, Willow gets up off the bed and heads across my room toward the door. Worry builds in my chest that she’ll walk out and never come back or that she’ll come back with a list. And these last five years of getting us to this point will be destroyed. When she reaches the doorway, though, she turns around and smiles.

“I’ll be right back. I’m just going to go make breakfast while you finish breaking up with your father.” She giggles, amused with herself.