Page 64 of Saving His Heart
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Sit the fuck down, Emory. I know I’ve upset you, but that was fucking low, and I need a minute, so I don’t say something I’ll regret.”
His voice leaves no room for argument, and while I’m not scared of him, I am scared for him. His heart is not in any condition for the level of anger I see radiating off him, so I sit.
He takes a handful of breaths before he speaks again. “Considering how smart you are, Goldie, you can be a real shit head sometimes, you know that? You are the only person I have slept with in years. Let me say that again, years. And you will be the last person I ever sleep with. Do I need to repeat that as well?”
I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak.
“When I said it’s what I do, I mean, it’s what I do for my family.” Opening his briefcase, he pulls out an arrangement of colorful folders. Holding them up one at a time, I worry that the contents of our ridiculously lavish lunch are going to make an exit.
“Dexter-House of Hope.
“Trevor- Knights and Days.
“Loki-Lost Directions, home for boys.
“Lanie-Hearts and Hands Network.
“Julia-Righting Wrongs.
“Lexi-Women Warriors.
“I started each of these charities in their names, based on their specific shitty experience. This is how I help the ones I love, Goldie. I don’t buy people. I take a fucking nightmare of a situation and do what I can to make it better. For you, that means helping your sisters because they deserve it, and you deserve a break. You don’t have to be responsible for everyone all the time.”
I notice he has two more files that he tucks under the others before shoving them all back into his bag. My head is spinning, and I know if I speak, I’ll vomit all over the floor.
How could you be such a bitch?
“You see, Goldie, I do throw my money around because I can do some good in this fucked up world with it. I take care of those I love, even if they don’t know it yet. Should I have spoken to you about this? Probably. But I didn’t because I knew you’d give me a hard time. You and your sisters deserve a little help. So what if I’m the one to give it to you?” He is trying to catch my eye, but they are so full of tears, I couldn’t focus on him even if I wanted to.
“I’ve invested time and money into each charity for all those people out there. I do it because I care for them, and they have all had some shitty things happen in their lives. I wasn’t always able to help them when they needed it, but if I can help others in that same situation in their name, why the hell wouldn’t I? What the fuck does it matter if I put money into a charity or into the people that matter the most in this world to you?”
“Pres,” I say weakly. “I … we just can’t accept this. It’s Chapel Hill. We barely get by with them living at home rent-free. I-I just can’t afford for them to go there.” My body is trying to give way to the sobs I’ve been holding back. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought, I do, but I have no way to make this work. Don’t you see? Not everyone is meant for the happily ever afters.”
“Bull shit. Did you even listen to your sisters, or did you shut down after they said full ride?”
“What?”
“I tried UNC-Charlotte first because it was closer to you and because I knew you would lose your shit over the money. But because the semester has already started, Mona couldn’t find an apartment close enough to campus in a safe neighborhood. I figured you would really freak the fuck out if I bought them a car, too, so we went with Chapel Hill. Their apartment is a two-minute walk to campus, comes fully furnished, and is ready for them to move in whenever they want.”
My head is spinning, and I’m drowning in emotions. My body crumbles to the floor, and I allow painful sobs to wreck me. “This isn’t real life. I can’t do this,” I say on repeat, even after Preston sits down and pulls me into his lap. I’ve spent so long being the only person to care for my sisters. No one has ever taken care of me, and certainly not to this extent. How is it possible this man can come into my world like a freight train and relieve so much stress in the blink of an eye?
I wake with a start.What the hell happened? I feel hungover, and I’m forcing my brain to focus so I can figure out what I did last night. A gentle knock on the door has me bolting upright. That’s when I notice I’m still in my clothes from yesterday, and memories flood my brain like a bad movie.
Preston laid with me last night while I cried. He left once, I think, to tell everyone to eat without us. When he returned, he tucked us both into the bed and held me.
*Knock. Knock*
“Come in,” I yell with a hoarse voice.
Lexi peeks her head through the door, then she enters with Lanie and Julia close behind. It takes a minute for me to notice, and when I do, I laugh right along with them. They all have hot pink T-shirts on that say The She-Pack. Julia hands me one as all three climb into bed with me.
My sisters and I do this all the time when one of them needs comfort, but this is the first time it’s happened to me. It’s also, I realize, the first time in my life I have had girlfriends who cared enough to check on me.
“Jesus, I ruined your bachelorette parties,” I shriek.
Lanie kicks her shoes off and pushes up next to me in the bed. “Girl, please. I’m still nursing, and after all the champagne Sylvie fed us yesterday, I was passing out in the middle of dinner.”
