Winter Waites (Aster Valley 0.50)

“Friends don’t buy strangers cars, Winter,” she said incredulously. “Did you sleep with him?”

“Listen, I have a patient waiting for me. Can we talk about this later?”

“Can I keep the car?”

I planned on saying no because of course we couldn’t accept a gift like that from Gent. But then I remembered him telling me how excited he was to buy his brother a horse. “It felt amazing to do something like that. To make a dream of his come true. I was so grateful I could do that for him.”

“I don’t know,” I finally said. “Let me think about it. Accept delivery, but then let me be sure before you get excited, okay?”

She squealed a little before hanging up, and I couldn’t help the grin on my face. I didn’t have time to message Gent, and I knew he was sleeping anyway. Trying to find a time when we could catch each other on the phone was almost impossible. If I called him right when I got home from work, he could talk to me as he was waking up from a late-night concert. But then he’d inevitably have to go somewhere for interviews or radio shows before heading to the concert venue for sound checks.

I missed him so badly.

After work, I texted him.

Me: A Mini Cooper???

Gent: If you refuse delivery, I’m calling Summer directly and reminding her she’s a legal adult.

Me: You can’t do things like that. We barely know each other.

Gent: If I told you I was doing my car dealer friend a favor, would you believe me?

Me: No. Were you?

Gent: No. But now at least we both know you’re a little liar.

I grinned.

Me: Stop doing generous things. I don’t need your help. I just need you.

Gent: You’re killing me. I miss you. Please let me substitute money for my presence. I read in a book it’s what millionaires do. Show their feelings with money.

Now I was full-on laughing.

Me: And what are your feelings Mr. Millionaire?

Gent: I put them in a song just for you.

My heart leapt.

Me: You finished the song?

Gent: Yep. The band loves it. They want me to play it at a special show in L.A. when we get back.

Me: You should. Your fans would love it.

Gent: I only care about one of those fans. Will you come if I get you a ticket?

Me: Do you even have to ask?

The following day, a thick envelope arrived at work addressed to me. Inside was a plane ticket to LA, information about the town car that would pick me up upon arrival to bring me straight to the concert, and another envelope that looked like a bill from my student loans company. Like I’d somehow accidentally snagged it from my kitchen counter by accident.

Only it had been in this envelope delivered to me at work and not on my kitchen counter.

I opened it with shaking hands.

We are pleased to inform you that the following loan has been paid in full.

I stared at the paper, uncomprehending. “What?” I breathed, turning the paper over to see if there was any additional information.

The letter was addressed to Winter Waites, care of an attorney’s office in Los Angeles, California. Gent had paid off my loans? This wasn’t okay… was it?

“Sweetie.” My coworker June frowned at me. I’d stopped in the middle of the hallway outside of the staff break room on my way back to the nurses’ station to update some charts. “You okay? You look like you just got bad news.”

I glanced up at her. “Not bad news… exactly. Just… strange. Can I ask you a question?”

Her face softened and she pulled me back into the break room. “Of course. Why don’t you sit down and let me grab you some water?”

June was one of the nurses at our clinic and loved to mother everyone. She’d been working there for years and years and was beloved by the entire staff. I trusted her to be sensible.

“If you met someone and hit it off with them right away, but it wasn’t really… it probably wasn’t going to turn into a relationship for various reasons. But maybe friendship. And that… that is, the person you were friends with—your new friend—has lots of money, but—”

June’s understanding smile was accompanied by a hand on my arm as she leaned in closer. “Are we talking about a certain celebrity friend? Don’t worry. I’m good at keeping confidences.”

I was sure she was, so I nodded. “He just paid off my student loans out of the blue,” I whispered. I was afraid of saying it out loud because I felt like a selfish ass for even considering accepting the gift. “I can’t accept it, right? How do I… how do I get the loans back, though?”

I handed her the letter. She read it and put a hand to her chest, much like I’d done with the first note Gent had left for me. “Oh, honey. He wants to help you. He wants to take your burdens away.”