Blackbird (A Stepbrother Romance #1)(18)

Not was. Is.

This is not my place. I wish I knew where my place was.

“That sounds like a cute way to meet.”

“Our parents got married.”

“So? It’s not as if you grew up together.”

I sigh, long and loud. “I’ve heard that before.”

“From him,” she says.

“Yes.”

“I’m here if you want to tell me. I’ll listen.”

I look at her. I look around the office.

“Morning report?”

“You have three-hundred and seventy two emails, six calls, four requests for meetings, the Wall Street Journal wants an interview, TMZ wants a comment on…”

“Nevermind. Wait, TMZ?”

“Your, ah, encounter yesterday is all over Twitter.”

“Twitter? Who the hell on Twitter cares about what I do?”

“Lots of people, apparently. You do realize you’re famous, right?”

“I am?”

She sighs. “Sweetheart, you’re the tenth richest woman in the world.”

“Ninth,” I correct.

“Tenth,” she insists. “I hadn’t gotten to the stock dip yet.”

I sit up. “Stock dip?”

“Your net worth decreased by two-hundred and fifty-six million dollars yesterday afternoon. It’s still going down.”

She looks at me like she expects me to start screaming, but the number is unreal. Does it even matter? When you have billions, plural, does any amount of money matter? I’ve never wanted for anything in my entire life. I’m such a bitch, worried about things like this when people are…

“How much are you paid?”

“Forty-two five, plus benefits.”

I blink a few times. I have things that cost more than she makes in a year. Things I don’t even want or bother with. I swallow a lump in my throat but it won’t go down.

“Check the indexes again.”

She sighs and opens her laptop, frowns as she reads the reports.

“Eleventh richest woman. The stock is tanking, Eve. I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Why is it tanking? Presumably because this is the first time-“

“No, why are you sorry? I’ll earn more in interest today than you’ll make in your entire life.”

She scowls at me.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“What did you mean?”

I plunge my face in my folded arms again.

“I wish I could just disappear.”

Her hand settles on my back. Why is she being kind to me? What did I ever do for her?

“You know, they say money can’t buy happiness.”

I snort. “They say lots of things. I’ve never seen it buy anybody sadness.”

She’s quiet for a while.

“I think I have.”

I sit up but I can’t bring myself to look at her. I jiggle the mouse and stare through the computer screen. It’s too fuzzy to read, but the blur is from tears. I sniff again and Alicia passes me a tissue without comment. My nose is raw but I scrub at it anyway. I should do some work. I can answer emails at least.

Trembling, I reach for the keyboard.

“You can’t work like this.”

“If I don’t, Father will be upset.”

“He’ll hit you again?”

I touch my cheek and wince. “He forgot himself. He hasn’t done that since I was-“

She cuts me off. “He shouldn’t ever do that. Not leave a mark like that. When was the last time?”

I swallow, hard. “I was in high school.”

“You were an adult?” she says, wide-eyed. “When was the last time before that?”

“Not often when I was a teenager. More frequently when I was smaller. He used to use his belt.”

Alicia stares at me, open-mouthed.

“Did your step-family know about this?”

“Not at first,” I murmur.

“You can talk to me.”

I look over at her.

“Do you understand what you’re risking by approaching me this way? If my father finds out I’ve been talking to you about any of this, you could be ruined. Permanently. Your husband, too.”

“Is he going to find out?”

“Not from me.”

I open my email client and type up a quick email to human resources. Quick and to the point.

“What was that?”

“I just tripled your salary.”

“Are you going to send Tiny Tim a goose now?”

I snort, and then break out laughing. Oh God, I haven’t laughed in years. Alicia stares at me.

“Oh my God. I’m She-Scrooge.” My laughter quickly melts into sobs again. “How did this happen to me? I don’t want to be this way.”

“What way to you want to be?”

“What are you, my therapist now?”

“No, but I have three girls. The oldest is in college. I’ve seen worse than this.”

I blink at her a few times. “Really?”

“A sixteen year old’s boyfriend freakout is a force of nature.”

“I never had a boyfriend until I was… older than that.”