Page 152 of Call Me Mrs. Taylor

Then he says, “Come to the White House with me.”

I lift my head, surprised. “Seriously?”

“Of course.” He nudges me until I turn toward him, smiling brightly.

“I want you there with me,” he says.

“Then I’ll be there.”

He doesn’t react, which is strange. “There’s just one thing, though.”

I stiffen. He better not ask me to share the space with his raggedy mama.

“What is it?”

He hesitates. “You’ll have to take down your TikTok videos.”

I stare at him, blinking in confusion. “Why?”

“There will be some media there. Press or whatever. My name out there. Your name out there.”

Anger surges through me, but I quickly get it under control. This is why I love him. I have to always remind myself of that. I didn’t choose some fuckboy with nothing to lose. I chose a man with a future, someone who cares about his image and his legacy. If I wanna be part of that, I have to tighten up.

I shift closer, bringing my body flush with his as the sense of a new opportunity dawns on me.

“But babe…I always saw myself monetizing my TikTok one day. To supplement my income.”

His expression shifts as he thinks about that. I can see it in his eyes, the way he’s considering all angles, weighing his options.

After a long moment, he nods. “I got you.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll take care of you, monetarily. That way, you don’t have to worry about all that.”

I smile, but inside, my mind is spinning. He’s so close, but not close enough.

I wrap my arms around his neck, gazing into his eyes. “I wanna believe in you, Ace.”

His hands find my waist. “What’s stopping you?”

“You have to give me something to hold onto. I won’t feel safe otherwise.”

His brows pull together, and I think he knows what I mean.

My ring. My fuckingring, nigga.

He exhales, silent for a long time. Thinking too damn hard.

I trail a finger down his jaw. “It would be nice to be done with my father.”

“You don’t have to throw hints,” he says, his eyes going sharp. “Just say it.”

I look away, ashamed. “You’ll judge me.”

“No I won’t.” He grips my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Let me back in, Ray.”

I take a deep breath. “Fine. I want him gone. For good.”

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