Page 21 of One More Chance
“I’m sure."
He paused, clearly wanting to ask more questions, but he didn’t. He finalized the paperwork and I headed to the bank next.
As I turned out of the lawyer's office, I couldn't help but laugh. I was sure he would tell his friends about the crazy client he saw today who'd insisted on pissing away half a million dollars. I understood the man's hesitation. All of the companies I picked were either complete unknowns or were currently struggling to carve a place for themselves in today's market. However, what I recalled from the upcoming pandemic was how much these select few stocks had soared. The growth potential was astronomical. By the time Violet was in college, both her and Liam's accounts would easily be eight figures.
At the bank, I placed the trust documents in a safety deposit box, the key to which I'd planned to give to Sloane.While I was there, I added her name to the accounts: all of the accounts. What Old Me had used as a wall between him and Sloane, I had hoped to turn into a bridge. Giving her complete access to everything felt less like surrender and more like the kind of honesty I’d been starving for. It was strangely liberating to lay everything bare.
That evening as Sloane and I sat on the couch, I expected her to view all of this with suspicion. She was so accustomed to Old Me keeping his finances private, separate, and shutting her out of the innerworkings of the business. I mean, Sloane wasn't stupid. She knew we were well off. Old Me had constantly kept at least five thousand in our joint checking at any time, so she could pay the bills; how magnanimous of the asshole.
So she was aware that I had money saved up… but when she opened the banking app and saw the totals, she gasped.
“You have... how much?” she asked, gaze lifting to mine. The look on her face was equal parts disbelief and quiet confusion. “Levi, this is excessive. How do you have this much?”
I could feel the edge in her voice, a sharp flicker of anger for being kept in the dark. Old Me had locked her out for so long with excuses and lies. She had every right to be angry.
“I don't have this much, Sloane. We have this much. And if you look here, this one’s the business account. I’ve already told the accountant you have full access. He’s sending over a company card for you, too.”
“Company card?”
“Yeah. As a business partner, you have the right to know where everything’s going and the freedom to make calls on expenses, vendors, whatever you think we need." I let that sink in before I said, "Obviously, I don't want this to conflict with your current career, but Master Builders is here if you ever want to join me.”
She stared at me then, still looking at me with that same confused skepticism. “Levi… you didn’t.”
“I did. He’s sending the operating agreement this week. You and I are fifty-fifty now. Full partners. The way it should have been from the start.”
She didn’t respond right away. I could see her processing before she laughed and said, "Levi I don't know the first goddamn thing about running a construction company. How the hell am I supposed to be a partner?"
Her expression shifted. I saw years of tension melt away. I knew she was trying to reconcile this version of me with the one who left her holding everything alone.
"Sloane, this isn't just about the money. It was about finally letting you all the way in where you've always belonged. I’d been too proud or too blind to see you were the reason for my success. I wouldn't be here without your own hard work and sacrifices."
Her eyes brimmed. She blinked hard, but one tear slipped down anyway.
“Thank you,” she said and then, just as quickly, she laughed a little incredulous. She wiped at her face and let out a small snort. “Well fuck, Levi… I didn’t realize we hadmillions.”
I smiled, tension breaking in my chest like the first crack of sunlight through storm clouds. “Well, technically, Master Builders has millions. But yes, Sloane. We,as in you and the kids, are financially safe.”
She nodded. “I’m still mad at you.”
“As you should be.”
There was a pause as she took a few deep breaths. Then she arched a brow and asked, “But just to be clear, I still get half if I kill you, right?”
I coughed out a laugh. “Yes, but uh… can we maybe hold off on that until after tax season?”
She smirked. “I'll try my best.”
"There is one other thing."
"What, do we also own a yacht?"
I laughed and said, "Sorry. They were all out of yachts last time I was at the store."
"Damn."
"Sloane," I said as I held my hand out, "may I see your phone?"
Her eyes narrowed for a moment, but she handed it me. I sat our phones down next to each other on the coffee table and proceeded to work. She said nothing as she watched my fingers fly across the screens, but eventually her curiosity got the better of her and she leaned over.
