Page 97 of The One You Want

He took a deep breath and released it before he began to speak. “Your grandparents came to see me. They…wanted me to break up with you.” He closed his eyes, like he couldn’t bear to look at me while he told this story. “I told them to get lost, of course. But then they…” he took another deep breath and I was tempted to blurt it out for him, just to get this over with morequickly.

But when he finally continued, his words weren’t at all what I expected. “They told me if we were together, they were going to take away your trustfund.”

The words dropped like a leaden weight into the silence of my livingroom.

“Wait—what?”

He opened his eyes, his expression more sympathetic than I think I had ever seen. “It’s so terrible, Jenny. I didn’t ever want to tell you. You shouldn’t have to know that your family would do something like thatto—”

I held up a hand. “Hang on. They threatened my trustfund?”

He nodded, lookingpained.

“But what about the vendorcontract?”

He stared at me. “What?”

“I went to see them. I saw Bradford in town and—” His eyes grew wide, angered, so I hurried on. “I just had a feeling they were up to their usual garbage.” I swallowed, directing my attention to Mittens in my lap so I wouldn’t have to look at Grant. “They told me…that they offered you a contract, to supply flowers, and that you tookit.”

He went so still and quiet that I had to look up to make sure he was still breathing. He looked white as asheet.

“Those fuckingassholes,” hehissed.

I blurted out the first random, stupid thought that popped into my mind. “I thought you didn’t swear aroundwomen.”

“Fuck that,” he growled, standing from the couch so he could pace in front of me. “I can’t believe they told you that. I can’t believe—” He stopped mid stride and turned to me, his face dropping. “You believedthem?”

I shrugged. “You did break up withme.”

“But not for that!” he said quickly, moving in front of me. He dropped to his knees and reached for my hands. “You came in that day so excited about your business. I…God, Jenny, I was so proud of you. But then you started talking about using your trustfund…”

“My grandparents had just been there, hadn’t they?” I whispered, thinking about how off he’d been thatday.

He nodded. “I went back and forth on whether to tell you all morning. I knew it would hurt you but I thought you had a right to know. It was making me sick. And I was pissed off, so completely pissedoff.”

“You weren’t talking to your flowers,” I whispered. “When I came in. I remember thinking it wasweird.”

He closed his eyes, like he was in pain. “I decided I just wouldn’t tell you but then you started talking about using the trust. And you were so damn excited, Jenny! I don’t think I’d ever seen you look that confident. How was I supposed to ruin that foryou?”

I shook my head. “You think ending things didn’t ruinit?”

He winced. “All I could think was if we stayed together, you would lose your trust. All of those plans you were making would be for nothing. I knew what it meant to you, to find that thing you were passionate about. And God, Jenny, you’re so damn good at it! I didn’t want to take that away from you. Not just so I could keepyou.”

I stared at him, kneeling there in front of me, completely floored. I had no idea how to feel—touched, flattered, angry. I decided to go with angry for awhile.

“You see how that’s bullshit, right?” I asked. “I mean, God, Grant. You didn’t have a cushy trust fund to start your business. You just worked really hard.” I swallowed. “Did you not think I was capable of doing it on myown?”

He looked up at me, stricken. “No. Of course not, Jenny. I have more faith in you than anyone Iknow!”

“Then why didn’t you just tell me? Why didn’t you have faith in me to make the right decision? Why didn’t you have faith that we could figure it outtogether?”

He hung his head again and the silence stretched on and on. Just when I was sure he didn’t have a response, he looked up at me, that desperation back in his eyes. “I think there was a part of me that didn’t think you would pick me if I told you thetruth.”

I pulled my hands back,stung.

“You assumed I would take the money,” I whispered, and that one fact hurt so much worse than all the others. “You thought I would choose money overyou.”

“No!” he shouted, loud enough to make Mittens jump from my lap. I missed his comforting warmth immediately. “I thought you would pick your art over me. The opportunity to open your own store. And that’s nonsense, Jenny, I know that now.” He shook his head. “I guess I could just never believe it, you know? That I actually got to be with a girl likeyou.”