Page 55 of Dex

My brow lifts in shock and awe.“That’s a long time.”

“They’re happy,” she says with absolute certainty, like I’d asked her if she breathes air.I nod, letting her talk.She tells me how they met.How they built her father’s company from the ground up.How they had problems conceiving.“They went to expensive clinics,” she says.“Flew across the world looking for solutions.But it never worked.But miraculously, they managed to have me.”She gives a soft laugh.“They tried over many years.It just goes to show you that money can’t buy everything.”

“I disagree.In my experience, I’ve seen that it can.”

She cocks her head, watching me.“But money can’t buyeverything.It can’t buy happiness, or joy, or satisfaction.Those emotions come from a deeper place.”

Her words stump me, and I dwell on them as she continues talking about her father’s business.I half-listen, half-think about what she said.

She’s right.

Money didn’t save my mother.It didn’t stop her from—

“And what about you?Your parents?”Daniela turns the question back on me and I tense.“How long were they married?”

I should shut this down and tell her it’s none of her business.But before I can stop myself, the words slip out.“She died when I was eleven.”

Her eyes soften.“That must have been really hard.”

I’m surprised I even answered her.But for some reason, it doesn’t feel dangerous to talk about this with her.Which makes me feel even worse.Jett and Zach know, of course.We’ve talked about it, and they think I’m being dramatic.They tell me it wasn’t my fault, but they don’t understand.

Nobody does.

“She and I argued before she died.”My voice is quieter now.“It was stupid.A small fight.But it was the last conversation we ever had.”

Daniela watches me, listening.Really listening.

It makes me do something I never do.

I keep talking.

“I don’t know how much you know about my family,” I say.“My father had… a mistress.”

Her eyes open wider.She didn’t know.She wouldn’t.

“We have—” I exhale.“We have half-brothers.Rio, Matteo, Enzo.They grew up in Italy.”

She listens without judgment.

“My mom didn’t know,” I say, staring at my scotch.“Not at first, but when she found out…”

I stop.I never talk about this.

Not with anyone.

Daniela is silent, waiting.

But somehow, I feel compelled to.“She drove off a bridge.On purpose.”

Her hand moves instinctively toward mine.I should pull away.But I don’t.Then her fingers wrap around mine, warm and gentle.“I’m so sorry,” she whispers.I stare at our hands and I want to pull away, but it feels reassuring.Her hands are so soft and small compared to mine.Her skin warm and soothing, infusing me with heat and chasing away the coldness of my past.Her fingernails, painted a soft pink, catch the lights, but it’s my ring on her finger that holds my gaze captive.Something about it grounds me.Tethers me to her, in a way the paper contract doesn’t.

I want to tell her to drop it.

I don’t.

Instead, I say something that only Jett and Zach know about.

“The last thing I said to her,” I murmur, “was that I wished she were dead.”

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