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He looked at me with his eyebrows pushed together.
“And then I saw the cost.I did the math.I don’t want to be in debt until I’m forty, Jules.Plus, I can make money in other ways.”
“Lots of really successful people don’t go to school,” Lux supplied.“Not me.I went, but that’s beside the point.”
I closed my eyes, trying to center myself.Then I took a deep breath and looked straight at my brother.
“I was going to wait to tell you this when we were alone, but I’m going to pay for your school.”
Lucas raised a brow at me.“You?”he asked with a scoff.“You babysit for a living.You don’t have any money.”
His words felt like a knife to the chest.Does he really think so little of me?
“Nanny,” Lux corrected, her eyes narrowing at my brother.
“Right, whatever.”Lucas waved her off, and Lux clearly didn’t like the teenage attitude showing through.“Point stands.You’re broke, Jules.”
“I’ve been saving.”I tried my best not to look at Lux as I felt her staring at me.Now she knew what I planned to do with the money she gave me and why I still needed this job.
“Not enough, Jules.These schools, they’re too expens?—”
“I have enough,” I argued.“For all four years.I’m not kidding.Pick whatever school you want.I’m prepared.”
He leaned back, his eyes looking up and down my body, scrutinizing me.
“You?Thenanny.Saved up enough for all four years of school.Any school.Even Harvard?”
Geez, just twist the knife, why don't you?
“Yes,” I hissed.
He paused, then crossed his arms over his chest.
“What did you do to get the money?”
“Nothing illegal,” I shot back.I couldn’t help but look at Lux.“Can you please go to Bella for a minute?”
She pursed her lips before nodding and taking her leave.
Lucas looked at her as she left, then back to me.
“Didn’t know you could order your boss around.”He leaned forward.“Actually, I noticed her making eyes at you all night.Don’t tell me?—”
“Let’s stay on track, Luca?—”
“This is on track,” he said.I hated when he was like this.When he could see right through me.It was something only he could do.Maybe it was because we had spent so much time together growing up, but he could always read me like a book.“You’re fucking her, aren’t you?”
I took a sip of my drink.
“I’mnot.Now, about your schoo?—”
“I don’t care if you have the money,” he said and stood.“Now that I know it’s not yours, I can’t take it.”
I stood up and grabbed his wrist.
“Itismine.And I want you to have it.I want you to go to school.To live a good life.To succeed.To not be like… me.Take it,please.”
He hesitated for a moment before pulling his wrist from my grasp.