I hold up the letter. “I’m going to be fine now but I guess I should get back inside so she can see that. She’s been amazing through all of this.”
“She loves you.”
“I love her, too. I just wish I could do something for her. To show her how I feel.”
Mom pats my shoulder as she stands up. “You’ll think of something. Now come on because I’m not making another one of those pies!”
†
Before I go back in the house, I stash my father’s letter in my back pocket. My uncles and cousins tend to be pretty nosy and I’m not ready for anyone else to read those words yet. Except for my girl, that is.
I find Seven in the kitchen standing guard over the last slice of pie. She’s holding a fork out like a weapon. My uncle Eddie stands on the other side of the counter eyeing it like he’s looking for a weak spot in her defense.
“Stand back. I have no problem fighting an old man,” she threatens.
He laughs. “Come on. If he hasn’t come back by now, he isn’t coming. I won’t tell him.”
“Uncle Eddie, are you trying to steal my girl?”
He makes a disgruntled face when I reach over and grab the plate. He winks at Seven. “I was trying to steal the pie but the girl is a close second. You’re lucky she saved it for you. You’ve got a good one here, Luke.”
My eyes meet hers. “Yeah, I know.”
Uncle Eddie satisfies himself with several chocolate chip cookies and then shuffles out. Finally we’re alone.
“Do you feel better? It was kind of loud earlier, huh?”
I swallow a forkful of pie. She really is a good one. Plenty of girls would be pissed if their boyfriend left them to fend for themselves at a family event but Sev gets it when I need a moment of solitude. There are no questions or accusations. Just understanding.
I pull my father’s letter from my back pocket. “While I was out there, this arrived.”
Her mouth falls open slightly as she reads. When she’s done, she folds it carefully and hands it back. “Wow. Are you okay after reading that?”
“Actually … yeah. Max was at peace and that’s all I can ask for. I’ll always wish that I could have spent a little more time with him though.”
The thought brings to mind the perfect gift for Seven. The one thing she’s always wanted. Her sister.
I walk around the counter and hug her from behind.
“You know, I didn’t give the FBI everything.”
She tenses against me. “Luke—”
“No, just hear me out. Now that Max is gone, I’m not worried about holding anything back. If we bargain right, we could probably get custody of your sister. Dealing with Agent Walker will be a pain but we can do it. I know how much that means to you. I want you to have everything you need to be happy.”
She turns in my arms and kisses me gently. “I do have everything I need. Right here.”
“But what about Grace?”
“She told me she’s happy where she is. And I’m finally happy, too.”
Even though she seems sincere, I worry that she’s brushing aside things that matter to her to be with me.
“You don’t have to pretend that you’re not disappointed. I know how much the custody petition meant to you. Maybe if we get married it’ll give your petition more weight. I’m a billionaire and money speaks. We don’t have to just let this go.”
She covers my mouth with her hand. “Don’t call the cavalry yet. Grace is fine. She told me she’s happy where she is. The family she’s fostering with wants to adopt her and I think it’s for the best.”
Slightly mollified, I nip at the back of her hand. “If you’re sure. Well, maybe I’ll buy a helicopter so you can visit her whenever you want. I’m a billionaire after all.”
She laughs. “You’re a billionaire, huh? I didn’t catch that.”
We laugh together, mocking the media firestorm that has turned our lives upside down. My father’s dramatic death in police custody brought an insane amount of attention to our family. Social media in particular went crazy with the discovery of five young billionaires. Gabe has become especially popular. There’s a Twitter account devoted just to his hair.
I’ve started texting the memes to him every day just because it annoys him so much.
“Sev?”
“Hmm?”
“I wanted to say thank you. For loving me. Sticking with me this past month and giving me the space I needed to work things out in my own head. I know that couldn’t have been easy but you were always there when I needed you.”
“And I always will be.”
“I’m so glad I didn’t listen to my mom when I was a kid.”
“What do you mean?” She crinkles her nose at the seemingly sudden change of topic.
“She always told me not to talk to strangers online.”
I kiss her until she throws her arms around my neck and we’re both gasping for breath. When she finally opens her eyes, her expression is dreamy. I hope to keep that look on her face for the rest of her life.
chapter sixteen
†
SEVEN
One year later …
I pick up a piece of bubble wrap and carefully pack it around a coffee mug. We’re going to be moving into our new house this weekend.
I look around the apartment which is in varying stages of being dismantled. There are white squares on the wall where Luke took down pictures and the living room floor is covered in boxes and that fluffy white packing material that looks like popcorn.
It’s going to be so weird not to wake up here anymore. This apartment has been the place our love has grown. Where I finally stopped worrying this won’t work out or that Luke will get bored and find someone better.
It’s home in a way nowhere else has ever been.
Even though there are packing materials all over the place, we’ve both been so busy that we haven’t put much inside the boxes yet. Luke wanted to hire movers to handle it all but I told him it wasn’t necessary. Now that I’m with one of the country’s most eligible young bachelors, I’m more aware of the difference in our financial status than ever. Luke knows I don’t care about the size of his bank account but I don’t want to be seen as that girl.
Luckily I have a whole new group of “sisters” to help me navigate this strange new world. Emma warned me that dealing with the other side of wealth is an inevitability so at least I was prepared before the first unflattering tabloid article came out.
I spent an evening sloppy drunk on Emma’s couch while Sasha spoon-fed us both ice cream after I saw it but now all that crap rolls right off my back. There will always be people making assumptions about our relationship or musing about why he’s with a skinny, scarred girl but I refuse to let that stuff bother me. Luke loves me and thinks I’m perfect exactly as I am. His opinion is the only one I care to listen to anyway.
Luke emerges from the bedroom and stops when he sees me packing. “Baby, why didn’t you call me to help? I don’t want you doing all this alone.”
He kneels next to me and grabs the duct tape. I hold the sides of the box together while he seals it.
“Did I tell you that another school signed up for the program?” He does a little victory dance. He’s so goofy sometimes and I love it. After seeing him so despondent, it’s been a joy to watch him return to his usual playful, happy disposition. My Luke is back.