Page 36 of One Billion Reasons

His gaze flicks down to mine, stormy and unreadable. “Yeah, he did. And I watched men like Mark insult him to his face. I never got a chance to do anything about it. Now I can.”

Shame sweeps through me. I never knew any of this. Did Liam? Is this what he was talking about on the phone?

“I understand that.”

“Yeah?” He looks down at me, curious. “Tell me.”

“It’s going to sound dumb, but I just want my parents to be proud of me.”

“I’m sure they’d be proud of you.” His brow furrows.

“Oh, please. Don’t give me those platitudes. I know what you really think of me.”

“Do you?” He glances down, and his eyes are serious when I expected teasing. I don’t want to get into this right now. Foolish, dreamy girl.

“Come on, Miles. You’ve never pulled punches with me. Do you really think my parents are proud of me? I’m dating you for money, for god’s sake.”

“Am I that bad?”

“Well, I thought it would be easy money, and it’s turning out to be surprisingly difficult.”

He barks a laugh and then sobers. “Why would you think your parents aren’t proud of you?”

“Look at my life. I’m thirty. I still have student loans that I may never pay off. I have a business that’s hanging by a thread. My business partner just left me to travel the world. Without this money, I’d definitely be working at the coffee shop below my apartment full-time. Now compare that to the people I graduated with. Compare that to the people at this wedding. Hell, even Liam has his act together more than I do.”

“That’s not fair.” He frowns. “You’re doing something a little less traditional.”

“And it’s not even what I really want to do.” The words burst out of me, a secret even Mallory doesn’t know, because it’s too embarrassing to admit that wedding photos are my backup plan, and I’m failing even at that.

He makes a considering sound. “What do you want to do?”

I give a short, unhappy laugh. “Be a fine art photographer. Sell the photos I love to people who also love them.”

“So, make even less money than you do now.”

I elbow him. “Don’t be a dick.”

He raises his brows. “I can drop you on your ass and leave you on this hill.”

“To die?”

“I’m sure someone would find you.”

“Very chivalrous,” I grumble. “So you think my dream is silly?” I can’t breathe while I wait for his answer.

“No,” he says slowly. “I think you need a business plan. You can’t make dreams a reality without the little steps in between.”

“That is such a you thing to say.”

He smiles. “Is that such a bad thing? I’m very successful.”

“The world’s youngest billionaire. I know.”

His smile widens. “So you did google me.”

“Once.” Just once. And the photos of him on red carpets in bespoke suits and speaking at events had been too much.

“I knew it.”

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