Blackbird (A Stepbrother Romance #1)(49)

“Okay. It might be tough for me to sneak all this out. I think you should do it.”

She never took her eyes off me.

“Yeah, good point. You’d be in a world of shit if you got caught walking out of here with this stuff.” So would I, but that was beside the point. Or maybe it was the point.

Victor, you *, you picked this day to be chivalrous.

I put the files in my attache. It was actually my father’s, a hand me down from his father, old and supple and soft. I used to play with it when I was a kid, and beg my father to let me have it. Then when it was mine, I didn’t want it anymore. I didn’t want any of this. I just wanted to work on cars.

Get rid of Martin and I could.

I left first, as we usually did. No one searched me, of course, as I left.

Graduation was the following week. I would walk, get my diploma, and step onto the football field one of the one hundred richest men in the world. All my dreams were coming true. I never dreamed about the money. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what to do with it. Materially, I already had everything I could possibly want or need, and soon Eve would, too, and our kids. I wanted kids with her, I was one hundred and ten percent sure, and she was coming around. She would finish her degree. We’d live off campus for her last year. I was already looking at houses. I was going to surprise her with it. We both liked the town, and I was thinking maybe we’d move there. I could shutter the house, turn it into a museum, maybe we could winter there or something. It was a long drive back. I had a lot of time, a lot of dreaming to do.

Technically, we could have lived in the dorm until my graduation, but I packed all of mine and Eve’s shit in the back of the car, filling up the trunk and seat both, and we drove home. The only thing missing was a just married sign and some cans to rattle behind us as we drove. I was giddy with excitement. I’d already talked to the kitchen staff. We were going to eat on the terrace, have a big fancy meal and then I’d pop the question at sunset, drop to one knee before her and wait for her to answer. The idea made my palms sweat. When I was shopping for the ring I was sure she’d say yes. Now that she was sitting next to me, sleeping with head propped on my shoulder as I drove the back way up the country roads, I wasn’t so sure. It was a silly kind of worry, like checking the stove three times before leaving the house, or running around looking for your keys when they’re in your hand.

Reminds me of something my Dad told me once. Love is giving someone the power to hurt you terribly, and hoping they don’t.

I didn’t wake her until we were almost home. I nudged her with my arm and she stirred, yawned, and stretched, folding her arms behind her head and cracking her back.

“Hey,” I said. “We’re back.”

She looked a little sad, but then she always did.

“I’m going to talk to my mother,” I said.

She looked at me sharply, drawing in a quick breath.

“Eve, in a week it won’t matter what anybody says. We can do what we want.”

She nodded. “What about… I mean, legally. I never looked it up. I was afraid.”

“What, because our parents are married? It means nothing legally, Eve. I talked to a company lawyer about it. People might think it’s weird or tacky, but f*ck them. I do what I want.”

She always flinched when I used a curse word casually like that.

“My father…”

“Can go f*ck himself. We’re adults, Eve, and there’s nothing he can do. If he tries, my lawyers will blot out the sun.”

Besides, there would be no need to worry about him, soon. Maybe she’d want to visit him in prison.

Eve settled into her seat as I pulled around to the garage. I wanted to carry my own stuff but Mom insisted the servants do it. I never liked having servants. It felt so silly, to have people paid to carry my crap. Eve felt the same way, but we went along with it.

Mom looked healthier than she had for a while. She picked up a bad cough over the winter and lingered for months, all through the rest of the school year. She’d been pale and drawn, but looked bright and healthy today. She gave me a big hug, then gave one to Eve, squeezing the life out of her.

“My father?” said Eve.

“Away on business,” she sighed. “He’s been so distant lately, I…” she looked at Eve. “Nevermind about that. Come in. I haven’t seen either of you since Easter.”

It took an hour of talking to pry her away from Eve. We went to Dad’s old study. I thought it was the best place.

When she hacked and coughed into her hand, it worried me. She was carrying around a hanky to cough into.

“Hey,” I said. “Have you been to the doctor about that?”

“It’s nothing. So what’s the big secret?”

I leaned back on his desk and fiddled with his magnifying glass. “Eve and I have, um,” I started. How do I put this?

“You’re in a relationship, Vic. I’m not blind. Did you really think anyone bought your excuses to get away from here with her? I’m not that slow.”

She smiled warmly at me.

“Yeah. I”m going to ask her to marry me. Tonight.”

“Good. I hope she says yes. She loves you, you know.”

I thought I was going to fall through the floor. “Yeah. Thanks, Mom.”

“Of course. Martin isn’t going to like this.”