Page 161 of Time Stops With You

I swallow hard. “Y-yes, mom.”

Mom’s eyes narrow. “Is he paying your rent too?”

“No,” I murmur.

“We don’t pay rent anymore,” Josiah says. “Cullen owns the building.”

I swerve and hit my brother with a stink eye.

Josiah doesn’t feel the breadth of my wrath because he’s too busy on his phone.

Rather than explode, mom folds into herself. I see her becoming more and more compact with every second. “Did you just say that man owns the building?”

“Yup. He’s even putting in an elevator because of us.”

Mom’s gaze turns assessing. “Josiah, this man isn’t—by chance—the programmer who wrote that book you wanted for Christmas last year?”

“Yeah.” Josiah dips his chin, thumbs flying over the screen.

Mom gasps dramatically.

I cringe.

“How could you not tell me?” She smacks my arm along with every word.

“Ow.”

“You’re sleeping with?—”

“Mom,” I scold, looking pointedly at Josiah.

“You’re dating a billionaire?”

“He’s a millionaire, not a billionaire,” I correct.

“When you’re poor, they’re the same thing,” mom hisses.

I cringe. “Can we not talk about this right now? Please?”

“Fine, but I want to know everything later.”

Thankfully, ‘later’ doesn’t come because after mom eats her fill at the restaurant, we head to the bowling ring.

Mom, Josiah and I have a great time as a family and I laugh until my stomach hurts.

On the way back home, mom nods off and I take the opportunity to text Cullen.

ME: Are you okay now?

CULLEN: Yes, I’m feeling much better.

I debate sending another text, but I refrain. He told me to go back to hating him and worrying about his health won’t help with that.

Roger slows the car to a stop. “We’re here.”

I wake mom and, together, Josiah and I escort her up the stairs. Jet lag and exhaustion hits mom after climbing to the fourth floor and she conks out in bed after brushing her teeth.

Early the next morning, I get a call.

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