Page 80 of Bribed by the Billionaire Bad Boy

“As if,” she breathes, a tremble in her tone. “That’s twisted and sick. Worse than keeping me around because I somehowamuse you and you want to do this play together. So long as you’rebuyingmy time, this will never be anything more than some weird business deal in accordance with your perverted whims.” She clutches her braid. “You know that, don’t you? Not friends. Notlovers. It’s too strange. Even for us.”

I don’t know that anything will be too strange for us. But I understand she’s setting a boundary, gently pushing me away.

Her attention falls, and she presses her lips together. The hints of blush still dancing on her cheeks in the streetlights make her look just a little too becoming. “I don’t know what we’re going to do after break.”

“Hm?” I ask, dreading break, knowing she won’t call or text or anything just like she didn’t during the fall break. I’ll have to go without her for weeks. And I don’t want to do that.

She shifts, hugging herself, rubbing her arms through the little sweater dress I let her wear today. “You said.”

I said a lot of things. “What part of what I said?”

“‘While the contract stands,’ you’re not allowed anything more than time.”

What she’s getting at clicks.

She’s talking about our kiss scenes. Our kiss scenes, which we’ll address after break. Our kiss scenes, which will undeniably be me laying a finger on her. It’s the first time she’s ever brought them up. And to do so while looking so completely vulnerable…?

My own face heats, and I cover my mouth, clearing my throat. “Well, that’s something in the contract I showed your mother. I wrote it during a break today and photocopied our signatures in so it looks like a copy of an original. Ourrealcontract specifies that the intimacy required through the play is allowed and bypasses the clause about…that stuff.”

I don’t know why I’m flustered. Calypso knows whatourcontract says.

“Right,” she exhales, chews her lip, frees it. “I guess I’ll seeyou for finals. And then after break.” She pulls her gaze up to my eyes. “Thank you for your help tonight.”

“Of course.” It’s only right. “All of this is my fault, after all. You were doing just fine before I came along.”

The most frail smile I’ve ever seen tips her lips. “I’m not so sure about that.” Before she turns, she lets something more daring enter her eyes. “Don’t let my mom worry you. Even though she can now reach you, you’re something I refuse to let her touch.”

Without any explanation, Calypso drops her braid and cups her hands around her mouth, blowing warmth into her fingers in delicate puffs of white as she hurries back up her drive.

I don’t know the full meaning behind those words, but I can gather enough. As I suspected, her mom has a way of stealing Calypso’s light away, whether the woman means to or not. It’s why my little sugar glider hides. She hides all her important things away.

Out of necessity, I revealed myself.

I’m something she planned to hide.

Because to her, whether she’ll ever say it clearly or not, I’m something important.

Was I mistaken before?

Is Calypsonottrying to push me gently away, establish that we’re still only bound by the contract?

Is she trying to tell me she doesn’t want to be “just” business partners anymore at all?

If I’m wrong, if I’m just being overly hopeful, it will ruin everything.

But if not…

Do I have a chance?

Calypso

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I couldn’t be more excited to get back to school. While break was typical and I was able to return to the “norm” with my mom, I miss Lex. Horribly.

I spent all my time baking and reading textbooks. I don’t yet have the syllabuses for the second halves of my classes—outside of theater—so I just picked up where we left off and read. It passed the time, kept my mind occupied.

Made it so I only wrote one song about Lex instead of, possibly, fifty.