If I tried taking her down now she’d freak and accuse me of all manner of things no doubt. I tugged on her hand until she toppled into my lap, and wrapped my arms around her to keep her there.
“Tell me!” I rocked her until she opened her lips with a huff. “I rent the space okay. I had planned on opening a school when I moved here but…” She didn’t say any more and I left it alone because she still didn’t know that her brother had told me everything.
“If you have the school, why do you need to work in my place?” And when the hell does she have time? I was a bit lost as it wasn’t adding up.
“I said I had planned to open a school, but things got side tracked. I can only afford to rent that space one day a week. That’s why I need the money, that and taking care of my brother.”
Okay that made sense, sort of. She’d planned to open a school while going to Juilliard, but things beyond her control had killed that dream as well. Just like my mother, it seems she’d had to give up a lot because of one of life’s curve balls.
Her body gradually relaxed, but not enough for her to actually lean into me. I pulled until she leaned into my chest and rested my chin on her shoulder. The sooner she gets used to me touching her the better.
Once she realized that I wasn’t going to do anything more than hold her, she released the air she was holding and I got another clue as to how to deal with her. She was more a show than tell type.
Words weren’t going to work with her, so I’ll just have to use actions. I imagine she’d lost all trust in men when her dad pulled his asshole stunt, and I don’t even want to know what her mother’s suicide had done to her already fragile ego.
It dawned on me that she’s basically an orphan. That I now had two people under my roof that I had already taken responsibility for in my mind and heart even if they didn’t know it yet.
When she started to droop in my lap I remembered that she must be bone tired and changed up our position. I pulled her head into my chest and wrapped my arms tighter around her.
She felt tiny, fragile, and I recalled what she looked like in her leotard. How slim and petite. Too little to have to carry so much weight around. I could only think that it was providence that had brought her to me.
I pride myself on taking care of those in need.
I’ve focused most of my charitable works on unwed mothers and kids in need. I’ve never met anyone more in need than her. She might have come from better beginnings than most, but life had dealt her a hell of a hand.
She was alone in the world with a teenage brother to look after. Her dreams had been broken and the pain caused by her parents had no doubt slashed her heart. I’d like to find her father and put my foot in his ass.
She squirmed and complained and I realized I was squeezing her. “Sorry baby, I got lost in my head there for a second.” I played around with the idea of telling her that I already knew about her past, but in the end I didn’t.
It felt too much like betraying Travis’ trust. Plus I want her to be the one to tell me. I’d know then that she really trusts me if she were to open up to me about that.
I was still stuck thinking of ways to help her out without losing my nuts for even suggesting it, when I realized we’d jut been sitting there for the last fifteen minutes or so without saying anything to each other.
I’d been playing around with an idea in my head. Something that would take care of everything and allow her to do what she loved. If I could just talk her out of going to school for something she wasn’t interested in and focus on what she did love that would be great.
But we were working at cross purposes here. In my mind us, her and I, were a done deal. Who knows what the hell was going on in that head of hers? Well, I wouldn’t know unless I try so here goes.
“I have the perfect solution, but you have to promise to hear me out before you go off the deep end. Remember, it’s just a suggestion and we can hash it out however you like.”
She didn’t answer right away, so I had to squeeze her around her middle to get a response. She grunted and glared at me, and I guess that was as good as I was going to get.