ardly, before I

, makeup smeared, wearing last night's clo

The words tore out of

d. " Why didn't you tell

r, her sobs soaked into my

gainst my neck. "I really tried to keep up with the loan pa

punch to the gut. "Mom,

month

ou say anything?"

thought I could figure somethin

been too wrapped up in Troy...his parties, his drama, his bullshit. Too focused

the moment short. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you really ne

uselessly at her tears

we suppos

Gavin. My fiancé said we could move into his penthouse. He has ple

man I'd deliberately avoided meetin

" Her voice made my chest ache. "When I told hi

s so hard my nails

hing that couldn't be fixed or replaced. Yes, he'd left us drowning in debt. His g

as still

e that. I didn't care ho

w we didn't have any other option r

out of

the word tasting like

g tight. "Thank you, baby. Thank you. This is going to be ok

. But I didn't

reamed wealth and power in a way tha

s rich," I muttered, my v

ul," Mom said, but even she

, "successful" was an unders

s, with perfectly styled gray hair

rtable. Mr. Gavin will be with you short

you," M

enthouse, and I had to

oor to ceiling window,with a beautiful view. Beautiful furniture . Abstract a

hing? Water? Coffee?"

We're fine," M

isappeared down a hall

ueezing tight. "See? This is going

own her hair one last time, pasti

d into the

ress looked simple but it fit him perfe

ked terrib

caught in

could

hit him. His ice-blue eyes widened a little bit, before b

shattered into a

The stranger I ki

he tension between us. "Thank you so much for this

se impossibly blue eyes...never left mine. They bur

ening. This coul

seemed to come from very far awa

My lungs had forg

more insistent. She grabbed

t, my legs moving wit

etely missing the way we were staring at each other. "Me

father hit me

ch had made me fo

mother'

me, frowning slightl

d. Closed. No

ssa." His voice was the same seductive voic

d my name made

ord was bar

ight frown creasing her for

avin said

at have

eamed through m

s trembled at my sides. Nausea r

y, utterly screwe

..

behind me and I finally let ou

oor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a walk-in closet bigger than my entire

e with shaking ha

issa

ia.

eamed at th

to tell you," we s

my fingers to my temples where

ou go

nize my thoughts. Jus

ay, don't panic, but this ne

tell

oy got his face rearranged? It's circulating throug

my eyes.

there's

there possi

our mystery man. Something about him was familiar. And not man

are you goi

Ben Gavin. Like, the Ben Gavin. He owns multiple professional hockey franchises. He's been