He snorted. “Have you been hanging around Elizabeth? You sound just like her.” His long, blunt fingers tapped the steering wheel. “All right, what cause is most important to you?”
She grew quiet. What she wanted to do sounded so first-world, and she didn’t want any negative judgment from him. Not when they’d finally moved past the ugliness.
“Well?”
She cleared her throat. “Okay, well… I was thinking…”
He looked over at her. “You asked me to be honest with you. Surely you plan to do the same in return.”
Jeez. He had to hit the fair play button. “If it was my money, I would sponsor a promising young figure skater.” The words tumbled out faster. “I was very lucky that I never had to worry about how to pay for all my training, costumes and skates and travel, but most skaters aren’t rich, and most don’t get rich either. It’s not like football or basketball, you know? I don’t want a talented skater to give up on their dream because of a lack of money.”
There was an almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw. If she hadn’t been watching him so closely, she wouldn’t have noticed. She turned away.
He probably thought it was the most ridiculous idea ever, the way her father had. Rick had always said there were better ways to spend money, and it wasn’t on her future rivals. She’d assumed he’d been worried about her, but now she knew better. It had been about maintaining his lifestyle.
“If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do.”
Her head swiveled Dane’s way. “Really?”
He nodded. “You can oversee the whole thing. I wouldn’t recognize talent or potential. Figure skating isn’t my area.”
If they hadn’t been in a car, she would’ve thrown her arms around him. It was so sweet and unexpected. “Thank you.” She squeezed her hand over his.
“Don’t thank me, Sophia. For anything, ever.”
* * *
Sophia’s eyebrows pinched, and Dane knew he shouldn’t have said that. Thanking each other was a social norm, but fuck social norms. He couldn’t just sit there and listen to her gush over a stupid car.
And if she’d had any idea what getting rid of the Lamborghini really meant, she wouldn’t be so happy.
People thought he loved that car. Why wouldn’t they? It was a status symbol. A public statement that “my dick is bigger than your dick.”
But every time he got into it his chest tightened, and his stomach felt like somebody had dropped a nest of angry wasps inside. The red Lamborghini had always reminded him of what he’d done—how stupid he’d been.
Getting rid of it gave him some space away from that nasty feeling. And he didn’t deserve the relief.
“You’ll just have to get used to hearing it,” Sophia said, her voice firm. “I’m not going to turn into some unsociable brat because it suits you.”
“I’m not asking you to be rude to others. Just don’t thank me.”
“You know you’re being really weird, right? Because when I thanked you before, you didn’t object.”
“Things are different now,” he said. “I’m not a stranger you’re imposing on. We’re going to be living together.”
“All the more reason for us to be nice to each other.”
Rolling his eyes, he turned on the radio.
She crossed her arms. “Turning on the radio does not end the discussion in your favor.”
Her sass brought a reluctant smile. The women he used to date would’ve interpreted his order as a carte-blanche invitation to grab whatever they wanted.
He looked at her dress. The color complimented her eyes…but it also looked very new. “Did Salazar buy you that?”
She nodded. “I didn’t have anything to wear. I mean, I have a black dress, but that would’ve been sort of…funereal.”
“When we get home, I want you to sort your things into two piles. Stuff you got from him, and everything else.”
A wary gleam entered her eyes. “Why?”
“I’m going to burn everything he bought you.”
“Dane! That’s such a waste. I haven’t even worn some of the stuff.”
“Then we can donate it to some homeless woman.”
“Is this some kind of father-son pissing contest?” She shook her head. “I know you two have an ugly history, but this is kind of extreme. It’s not like I think about him just because I’m wearing something he bought. I think about you.”
“It’s not that simple. Just do as I say.” Then he added, “Please,” because he had a feeling that the word would persuade her.