Page 73 of The Masks We Burn
Instead, I take the envelope from his hand, and decide to use it when we do the crowd funding. “Thank you again, sir.”
“No, thank you. And thank you for taking care of my daughter.”
Huffing, I turn for the door. “Taking care of your daughter is something I’veneverhad to do.”
When I get home later, I don’t stop moving. If I’m not helping Spencer with wedding stuff, I’m asking Bellamy what else I can do. When he tells me there’s nothing left for the day, I bury myself in schoolwork.
When all my work is done and I’m left to my thoughts, I fall.
Maybe tomorrow I can fly again.
CHAPTER THIRTY
“It’s perfect.”
I’ve been standing at the corner of Third and Smith for the last twenty minutes staring at the empty storefront. Because it’s at the corner, the entry doors are slanted, and both sides of the front are floor-to-ceiling windows, framed in black iron. Deep red brick covers everything above the retro-striped awning.
It’s something you’d see in a freaking magazine, and after Mina showed me this spot, I knew nothing else would compare. I haven’t even seen the inside yet, but I’m sold.
So sold, in fact, that my heart is ripping apart in my chest at the thought of how the hell I’m going to get it. I have no idea.
Not one.
FUCK.
When Will gave me the idea, I didn’t think anything could be more perfectly suited for me. Any service job never appealed to me because people are the fucking worst. But anime people? I mean, seriously, not to put everyone in a bubble, but anime people are the shit. We vibe with each other and argue about fictional characters from time to time. That’s it.
Still, it was more of a dream than something I took seriously because, to be honest, I didn’t think I’d find a place that fit my picky ass needs. But Mina found one, leaving me no excuse as to why I couldn’t make this happen.
And now that I have the perfect spot, I realize I didn’t think about how the hell I’m going to pay for it. With William as my fiancé, it meant more time tofinda job. Not create one.
“How long will the tenant hold it?” I finally ask, peering at Mina who is standing at the front door, ready to show me inside.
“As long as you need. He knows your name.”
Of course.
I think at an earlier time in my life that would have bothered me, but now I’m grateful. More time means I can try to figure things out, get paperwork together and maybe apply for a loan.
I’ll probably need a cosigner, though.
Shit.Okay, no. It’s fine. One thing at a time, or the whole thing goes up in flames before it even starts to grow.
“It has a studio upstairs,” Mina adds, motioning for me to come inside.
“You’re freaking kidding me, right?” I finally take a step forward, excitement winding through me and snuffing out the worry—at least temporarily.
Mina nods, opening the door. “I wouldn’t suggest it long term because who wants to live at their job twenty-four seven? But I think it’d be super beneficial starting out. You can run downstairs to check inventory when ordering, bake things fresh, and not have to worry about travel. Lots of pros while you’re building it up.”
See?Perfect.
* * *
I push “call”on my phone while staring at the perfectly manicured lawn outside my parents’ house. You’d swear someone gets down on their hands and knees with a ruler and a pair of scissors to ensure every blade of grass is precisely two inches. The white-washed stones around the large ponderosa pine and flower bed are as clean as the day they had them put in.
The house itself is bigger than it needs to be, but not a mansion like Blaze’s. It’s got eight rooms,ninebathrooms, and too many damn bookshelves to dust.
When we finally had money, I thought I needed these things. If not to prove I had wealth, then to prove to myself I wasn’t poor anymore. Plus, more places to hide when storms came.
