Page 126 of Ice Me Out

Kandace’s brows lifted. “What kind of history?”

“It’s on sight,” I confessed.

Kandace whistled. “Christmas is gonna be lit this year.”

I snorted. “What’s new? And who said I’m bringing Hart home for Christmas?”

Kandace rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “Whatever the two of you have going on is something serious. You either bring him, or the family will descend on Seattle like locusts.”

“Noted,” I groaned, leaning against a light pole.

“So… who else in the family knows about him?”

“Just you,” I confessed tiredly, finally feeling the weight of my secrets and obligations.

“Okay. Okay. Let’s hit rewind. How did you and Hart Myers cross paths in the first place?”

I folded my arms over my chest and glanced over to where Hart was introducing Monica to his teammates. I lifted a brow when I noticed Marlon and Christiansen cheesing extra hard. Fingers snapped in my face.

“Hello? Earth to Vera?”

I refocused on her. “Right. Hart. Um. Do you promise not to freak out?”

“No,” she responded instantly.

“Fair enough.”

I spilled the tea, and Kandace’s eyes widened with each detail. She was stuck somewhere between shock and disbelief.

“Vera,” she whispered. “You can’t be serious.” I nodded, waiting for her to lay into me. “You could’ve come to anyone for help. You didn’t have to risk yourself like that. Hell, Danielle would’ve cracked open her piggy bank and given you the money.”

“I was not going to ask my baby sister for $25k.”

“You could’ve come to me. Better yet, why didn’t you go to Bo?”

“And fuck up his relationship even more with my dad?” I asked, nearly in tears.

Kandace sighed and closed her eyes. She opened them again, and hers were as wet as mine. “Vera, you can’t keep saving that man. Your mom has been gone seven years, and he can’t keep using her death as a crutch. You can’t magically heal their relationship, and deep down, I think you’re still punishing yourself by taking on burdens that don’t belong to you. I’m not judging you, but you could’ve put yourself in a bad spot.”

“I know,” I agreed. “I… I just want everything to go back like it used to be.”

“It won’t,” she said abruptly. “Not until those two get their shit together.”

I nodded and folded into myself, trying to block out the cold.

“How do you think he will take it when you finally tell him you’re a secret heiress, and that you’re ‘The One We Don’t Speak of’?”

“Don’t say it like that,” I chastised. “I’m not fucking Voldemort.”

Kandace shrugged. “Stop being sensitive. And if I were Hart, I’d bill you for everything I bought you. You’re tricking on this man for the vibes.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I am not tricking on Hart. I’m well kept. There’s a difference.”

“You sound like my mother,” Kandace drawled.

“You wanna talk about someone tricking on somebody? Your mama has a roster, and a billionaire sits at the top.”

Kandace shook her head. “Nah. She retired the roster.”