Page 36 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

His breath caught.

She kept right on going. “That wasn’t to say any of those things would happen to Blake—she’s strong—but the statistics weren’t in her favor. Anyway, that changed her mother’s mind immediately. For all that she didn’t believe Blake, she didn’t want her son to live a horrible life and/or choose to kill himself.” She took a sip. “Now, Blake’s father never did come around—and he always was a grade-A asshole—so the parents split. Blake’s nineteen now and transitioning. She works at Starbucks and goes to the university. She plans to become a social worker. To give back, as it were.”

“You’re proud of her.”

After a moment, she smiled. “I’m proud of Marnie figuring out the issue and speaking to Blake. My employee has made a real impact in Blake’s life, and that means everything. We try to be a safe space at the library. Hence the training.”

Impressive. “We had a group for gay kids at my high school. Hardly anyone joined. I wish I’d been braver and stepped up as an ally. But I had my own crap to deal with.”

She inclined her head.

“The color of my skin, my home situation—”

Crap.

“Yes, we started talking about your family and somehow we veered onto mine.”

“Sounds like you had spectacularly negligent parents.”

“I did. But they paid for my education and didn’t contest the inheritance I received from my grandmother when I turned twenty-five.” She swept her hand around her modest-but-very-cozy home. “Down payment on this place. Just a couple of years left on the mortgage.”

“Good for you.”

“Well, I don’t spend my money on much else—a few donations and always something coming up at work.”

“Like needing new computers.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t pay for those—a bit beyond my reach in generosity. I still want to know who did.”

He met her gaze. “Does it really matter? In the end, I guess, think of how many people will be helped.”

Another huff. “I don’t like being beholden.”

“True. But the computers weren’t a gift for you—they were for the entire community.” Truly, Marnie’s role should be revealed—she deserved the credit—but he’d given his word, and he wasn’t going back on it now. “Why not accept them with grace and move on?”

“I’m not known for being gracious.”

He wagged his finger. “See, I don’t believe you. I suspect you can be phenomenally gracious. I think you can be a wonderful person who loves with her whole heart.”

What are you saying?

“But, uh, I don’t really know you. Maybe you’re a green-eyed monster who eats children for breakfast and spits out the bones.”

Without warning, Plato launched himself onto Mitch’s lap.

He nearly spilled the hot chocolate. Had it still been full, he’d have done just that. He glanced at Loriana, silently pleading for help.

She merely grinned. “I think he likes you.”

And I think I like you.

Chapter nine

Lorianaknewshe should rescue him. Poor Mitch looked desperately uncomfortable, and he’d said he’d never had a cat in his life. As such, having one land on his lap was likely disconcerting. Yet even as she contemplated rescuing her guest, he placed his mug on the side table and tentatively petted the cat.

Her rotund feline wasn’t known for leaping into the laps of strangers. Marnie’d been over several times before Plato’d paid the woman any attention. And since clearly the younger woman’d never been around cats, things hadn’t gone well. Of course, just the fact Loriana convinced her co-worker to come home with her was a big deal.

The darling furball’s purrs carried clear across the room. “Oh, he really likes you.”

---