Page 79 of Before I Loved You

“What?” I ask, shifting in my seat.

“You love herrrrrrrr,” Kevin coos.

I roll my eyes. “Are you twelve?”

“Just admit it,” Kevin counters.

“Paul, I have your pie here!” Mom yells from the kitchen.

Saved by Mom.

“Well, I would love to answer your question, but Mom’s calling me, so…” I jump up from the couch, jogging into the kitchen.

Mom is divvying out slices of pies on plates as I enter, glancing up at me. “Honey, since I have you alone, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Shoot,” I say, taking a seat at the island.

She leans against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. “I saw Ron, the family’s financial advisor, at the bank the other day. He mentioned that you haven’t touched your trust fund since it came into your possession four years ago. Why?”

I shrug. “There hasn’t been anything I wanted to spend it on.”

She tilts her head. “Is that the only reason?”

I purse my lips. “Sometimes, it drives me crazy how well you know me.”

“So sue me,” she remarks with a smile.

I shake my head. “I don’t know. I mean, I have my other accounts I use, but that trust fund, well, I guess I think of it as Dad’s money. Nothing has felt good enough to spend it on. I just want to make sure that whatever I use it for, Dad would approve of it.”

“Honey, your father would want you to do whatever you want with that money. He left it in his will for all his children for that very reason. He just wanted his kids to be happy.”

“I know.” I shake my head, looking down. “I just don’t want to mess this up. You know?”

She walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. “Your father loved you, Paul. Very much. And know that he would approve of whatever you decide to do with that money.” She presses a kiss on my forehead. “Now…” She reaches for a pie in the middle of the counter. “Take this pie.”

“Mom, I know I’m a big guy, but there’s no room in my stomach for all of this,” I joke.

“I just figured your girlfriend might want some too.” There’s a twinkle in her eyes.

“Mom, I told you we’re just friends.”

“Mm-hmm.” She purses her lips, raising a single brow. “I don’t think the two of you know what that word means.”

I shake my head. “She just went up to bed anyway.”

“Well, go give her some pie before she falls asleep!” My mom pushes me out of the kitchen.

“I know what you’re doing,” I say, amused.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh really? Because I think you engrained in me that the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach.”

She shrugs. “Well, we’ll never know if you don’t go give her a piece of the pie. Now, will we?”

When I don’t move, she swats me out of the kitchen.

I shake my head, laughing. “Okay. I’m going. I’m going.”

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