Page 73 of In a Perfect World

Chapter 37

Triana~

I still loved Kairo, and that was the problem.Three months later, I still love the man, and blocking him from being able to get a hold of me had been the only way that I had managed to stay strong all these months.Of course, trying to find a job and sell my house had helped keep me occupied, but none of that changed the fact that I was still in love with Kairo Booker, and I wasn’t sure just how much more I could take.

So, after leaving Kairo at the creek, I had gotten home, then had immediately called Sonia and Tomasco to come over, not worried at all about telling them government secrets.They’d never do anything to hurt me, and so I knew that they’d never say anything about what I’d told them.

“Jesus Christ,” Tomasco muttered after I’d told them everything.“Politicians really are nothing but a bunch of self-serving assholes.”

“Yeah, I mean...I’ve never heard of any of them getting caught up in any immoral scandals, but behind closed doors, they really do seem like a bunch of closeted hypocrites,” Sonia chimed in.“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think that the lottery is a great idea, but for the first applicants to be a political PR scam is just...dirty.”

“Amen,” Tomasco muttered, making me laugh with just how honest they both were.

“Yeah, well...that’s why they say to never trust a politician,” I chuckled.

“So, what are you going to do?”Tomasco asked.

My brows immediately furrowed.“About what?”

“About the lottery?Duh,” he retorted.

“Nothing,” I answered.“I’m going to Hillrom with you two idiots.”

My brother and Sonia exchanged a quick glance, and that had me immediately on alert before Sonia asked, “Why?”

I looked back and forth between the two.“What do you mean, why?”

“Triana, this is everything that you’ve ever wanted,” she said.“Why would you pass this up?”

“Because I’m not leaving you and Tomasco,” I answered, wondering what in the hell was going on.“You guys have rearranged your lives to help make my dreams come true in Hillrom, and if you think that I’m going to just...just...just leave you guys behind, you’re crazy.”

“Who are you leaving behind?”Tomasco asked.“It’s not my dream to leave Rancher Hills.”He looked over at Sonia.“Is it yours?”

Sonia immediately shook her head.“Nope.”

“Then who are you leaving behind?”Tomasco repeated.

What?

“You guys are moving to Hillrom for me,” I reminded them.“How do you expect me to not go with you guys when I’m the reason that we’re moving in the first place.”

“I’ve already told you, you’re not the reason,” Tomasco said.“You’re the inspiration that we needed to do something different with our lives, Triana.However, with you here, in Blooming Heights, or in damn Mexico, I still wouldn’t stay here near Mom and Dad.You’re not the only one who needs a fresh start after the shit that they pulled.”

“But-”

“You also act like Hillrom is the end of the road for us,” Sonia added.“You act like we can’t ever come back if we don’t like it.Or, hell, move somewhere else.I’m not sure if you know how large the region is, but it’s pretty damn big.Tomasco and I could live anywhere.”

“But...the damn thing is rigged,” I pointed out, trying to appeal to their moral codes.“It’s not right.”