Page 67 of Old Money

She looks up at me, eyes wide.

“Wha…what?”

I swallow. Then I get up and walk around to the other side of the desk, leaning against it so I’m directly in front of her.

“We reached out to her and asked her to hold on the story so we could buy ourselves more time. But in the meantime, my legal team has been working on things to see what steps we should take. I asked them about you,” I say.

“About me?”

I nod.

“I have no clue how far this goes,” I say, “but I know it’s more than just these few women who came forward. And I know that it all links back to my dad. I don’t know how long. I don’t know the extent of what he did, but obviously, it’s tied to the company, and the company is tied to me. And up until a few weeks ago, so were you. Legal suggested, for your protection, that I cut contact with you. If I get subpoenaed, they can go for my phone records, and I can’t do that to you, Sawyer. I can’t have you dragged down with this. It’s bad enough that my brothers and I may have to pay for his mistakes. But I refuse to let this affect you too. Please believe me when I say that these last few weeks, leaving you like that…it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And if we’re being honest, I would have kept it up. But when the news broke last week and with classes starting up today, we knew this could get rocky for you, and I wasn’t going to let you be in danger. I will supply security for you for the rest of the semester. I’ve added your name to the lease of the apartment so that it looks like you’re a regular tenant. But you and me… I cannot take you down with me. I love you too much for that. I won’t…” I feel my voice cracking. Because if there was ever a time I needed someone, it’s right now. And if there was ever someone I needed, it’s her.

She stands from her chair, walking toward me and pulling me into her.

I wrap my arms around her, andGod,I forgot how this feels. A part of me heals every time she touches me.

She tilts my head up so we’re looking into each other’s eyes.

“I love you, Julian,” she says, “but you don’t get to decide what’s best for me. Only I get to decide that.” She reaches for my hand and interlocks our fingers. “I’m not going to leave you because of something you didn’t even do. I’m staying right here with you. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, but just know that I’m not scared. I’m not worried about hard things. Life is hard, Julian. But it’s much harder without the people we love.”

I smile up at her, stroking her cheek with my thumb.

“How did you get to be so wise?” I ask her. She smiles and shrugs.

“Old soul, I guess,” she says. I feel the smile drop from my face.

“What about school? There is no way to keep you from being badgered about this day and night once everything breaks.”

She shrugs again.

“I’ll finish my credits online. It’s only a semester.”

I roll my lips as I think. I hate the thought of her sacrificing so much just for me.

“This is going to get really ugly, baby,” I tell her. “There’s going to be a lot of shit to go through.”

She bends down and kisses my lips softly.

“Then we go through it together,” she whispers. “And if you lose it all, I can teach you how to be a regular, boring old middle-class citizen. No sweat.” She winks, and I laugh, pulling her down onto my lap.

“God, I missed you,” I say as I kiss her again.

“Show me how much,” she whispers against my lips, and I waste absolutely no time. I spring to my feet, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around, laying her gently on my desk.

“Listen,” I tell her, “before I make you scream my name, I want you to know something.”

She smiles.

“Yes?”

“I’m going to marry you one day,” I tell her. She laughs.

“Is that so?” she asks. I nod. “Deal. But I want a prenup.”

It makes me laugh out loud, but her face is serious.

“I am dead serious,” she says. “I want nothing but whatever I come into the marriage with. And you can keep your hands off my fortune too.”

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