Page 97 of Filthy Rich

She scooted toward the edge of the sofa. “Jake, I know you have a dad.” She frowned. “And I know this might seem strange to you, but you are my son. No matter what you do, no matter what happens in your life, no matter who else may show up, you will always be my son. You can test it however you want, and you can make any mistakes you need to make, and there will be consequences for your actions, but I will be here for you through it all, always. No matter what.”

Sometimes when I get really depressed, I listen to that conversation.

I was glad I recorded it for a very different reason than I expected. And I did test them, over and over. But today’s test feels harder somehow. They’ve always known my dad was a criminal, but they didn’t know how bad it was. They didn’t know anything about my real parents.

Will it change things? Will Seren’s face fall? Will she give up on me, once she knows where I really came from? Octavia insists I text them on our way over, telling them the two of us are coming and asking if they’re around.

Within two minutes, they’ve both texted back.

Yes. Please come.

Even so, when we show up, I’m nervous. I ball my hands into fists and release them. I fidget with the gear knob on my car. I button the top button on my shirt and then unbutton it. When I put the car into park, Octavia drops her hand on mine. “Jake.”

I turn toward her.

“They aren’t going to care. They know and love you.”

“But I don’t have a plan yet for how to deal with my dad. How do you think they’ll feel when the news is released and the public hates me, and maybe also the people who took me in? What if it ruins their hotel business?”

Octavia laughs, and it’s a high and melodic sound. “Oh, Jake. You’re worrying about things that won’t happen, I promise.”

“But they could. My dad’s a bad person.”

“Your uncle’s not a great person,” she says, “but he was never your dad. Dave is, and you take after him.”

I frown.

She wipes the wrinkles from my forehead and tosses her head. “Let’s go.”

It’s good I brought her, because she has to drag me to the house. Thanks to the stupid Ring, they open the door the second we arrive.

“Hey,” Seren says. “Come on in.” She’s smiling, but it’s a sad smile, like she knows it’s going to be a hard visit.

“I’m happy to see that you’re with Octavia again,” Dave says. “I’m still hoping you’ll come through that door soon to tell me you’re getting married.”

“Maybe we get through Bea’s wedding before we start talking about another one,” Seren says. For the first time ever, I notice wrinkles on the corners of her eyes and a few faint lines on her forehead. I wonder what kind of toll my actions have taken on her.

I feel bad about it.

“Jake here was trained from an early age to run away after doing something he shouldn’t have done,” Octavia says. “It’s just what he does naturally, but today, he’s here, and he has something to tell you guys.”

“Is this about the funnel?” Dave arches his eyebrow. “Because Killian finally came clean about it last week.”

I’m going to kill him. “Uh, no.”

“Alright,” Seren says. “Let’s sit.”

“Is it about the jar that?—”

Seren grabs his arm. “Stop, Dave. Let him talk.”

Octavia’s laughing for some reason. “By all means, let’s focus, but I also want to come back to these other things when we’re done. I have some questions of my own about what Jake was like when he was small.”

“Exactly the same, but the dimples looked bigger because he was smaller, and his stories were slightly less outrageous back then.”

Seren whaps Dave. “Stop.”

Dave shrugs. “Fine, I’m stopping.”