Page 165 of The Matchmaker's Choice: A Lesbian Romance

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me?” The hurt is all over her face. It stabs at my chest and

tears open wounds that I thought had closed up a long time

ago.

“Why should I trust you?” I wish I could stop and think

this through rationally, but I can’t. “We hardly know each

other. You don’t have a good track record for being honest

when it comes to that.”

Steph makes an injured noise, but she looks more

shocked than she does hurt at the moment. “I can’t believe

you’d say that. I trust you! I don’t have to know you for years

to trust you and believe in you. If this was the other way

around, I wouldn’t think that you were going to bail on me. I

would never say that you’d want to go back to hiding who you

were. I’d be proud of you. I’d stand up for you. I’ve never

given you any reason to believe that I’d do anything different!

I have no idea why you’re acting like this! I don’t understand

it at all! Really, I don’t.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not in that position.

You’re the one with all the power.” I’ve pressed on Steph’s

most sensitive button. The one thing I know that has haunted

her and hurt her in the past. Her family’s money. She shakes

her head sadly instead of blowing up at me.

“It’s always about the money. The stupid, stupid

money. I know what you’re thinking. That my parents would

cut me off and I’d have to change my mind. Don’t you realize

that I have my own bank account? I’ve had my own money

since before college. Since I turned eighteen. I own my own

house. It’s my name on the title. I have my own things. I work

for a living. I am my own person. Even if that wasn’t true, I

can’t believe you’d think that I’d choose money over you! I’ve

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