Page 67 of Only for the Season

Ugh. He couldn’t give a controlling asshole answer I could ignore? He has to have a good answer? And he’s not giving up.

I throw my arms in the air. “I’m saving money to pay my parents back for culinary school. There. Are you happy now?”

He growls. “No. I’m not fucking happy. Those people do not deserve your money.”

I don’t disagree. “Maybe if I pay them back, they’ll stop complaining about how I wasted their money.”

Maybe they’ll love me again. And invite me to holiday meals. I don’t say those things. It’s pathetic to still yearn foryour parents’ love when they’ve made it perfectly clear how little regard they have for you. But here we are.

Jeremy wraps his arms around me and pulls me near. “Princess, your parents aren’t worth your sacrifice.”

“How do you know?”

“Because parents don’t allow their daughter to live this way if they can help it.”

“They don’t know where I live.”

He kisses my hair. “Yes, they do. Everyone in town knows you live here.”

Shame fills me. “They do?”

“How do you think I found you?”

“Duh. You asked Eli.”

“I didn’t ask Eli. I asked atSmuggler’s Coveand they couldn’t tell me fast enough. Also, they want you to know Viking is doing well.”

I latch onto the excuse to change the topic. “I miss my little Viking.”

“If you didn’t live here, you could have him with you all the time.”

So much for my grand idea to change the subject. I push away from Jeremy. He holds strong to me for a second before dropping his arms.

I feel cold and lonely without his arms around me, but I ignore the feeling. I’ll examine my emotions later. When I’m alone.

“Jeremy, I’m not moving. This is what I can afford.”

“Because you’re saving money to pay back your parents.” I open my mouth to speak but he places a finger on my lipsto stop me. “Your parents didn’t loan you the money for your schooling, did they?” I shake my head. “Did they ask for the money back?” I shake my head again. “This is what parents do. They pay for their children’s education to help them get started in the world.”

“But I want to pay them back.”

He blows out a breath. “I’m not going to change your mind on this, am I?”

“No, sorry.”

He glances around the room and frowns. “I don’t want to leave you here.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t like it.”

I snort. “Welcome to real life. Not everything that happens will be to your liking.”

“At least let me take you out to dinner.”

My stomach rumbles in response.

“Did you eat lunch?”