Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 817(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 817(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
I knew that I had nothing to offer these people in the way of finances, and there was no reason they should trust me except for what was on paper; my character. They could’ve asked anything of me, and I would’ve given it to them, just to keep her with me. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters; she’s all that matters.
I guess some people may see their behavior as being a bit eccentric, but the fact of the matter is, they’re very shrewd men and women who did an excellent job raising her, all things considered. I think the only one who doesn’t see that quite yet is Lisa. She doesn’t see how beautifully adorable she is in part because of those people.
“And what was that about five kids?”
“One for each set of grandparents, one for each set of great grandparents, and one for us.” Her mouth fell open at my answer, and I could tell she was still coming to terms with all that had just happened and my part in it while I was feeling no pain.
“You plan on giving them our kids?”
“Hell no, but there’s going to be a knockdown drag-out fight if we don’t have enough kids to go around, mark my words.” Does she really not understand her family? I can’t say too much because to her; it may seem as if I’m siding with the enemy camp. As far as I’m concerned, we’d already won.
I’ve signed their contract, answered their questions, and even kept Lisa from fighting them too much in the process. All I was doing back there was putting their minds at ease, even down to agreeing to live close by.
Shit, I’m not stupid. They live in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country. To me, that spells top-notch security, a place where I won’t have to worry about leaving them if they can’t follow me on the road for whatever reason.
She has no idea how lucky I find myself that she’s the one I fell for. Her life is going to make our future together a breeze, but again, I can’t tell her that because she’s in no frame of mind to hear any of it. She’s still pouting, even though we both got exactly what we wanted. I guess for her; the war is still raging.
“Baby, why do you get so flustered around your family?” I kept my arms around her as I looked down at her pouty face.
“How are you so calm? You’ve seen them. And what was that back there?” She took my hand and dragged me over to the couch, where we both dropped from exhaustion.
“You’ve got to stop seeing your family as the enemy. You’ve built up a wall between you and them in your mind, and it’s clouded your judgment.” I waited for her to refute my claim, but she didn’t answer right away, and I realized that as lighthearted as she was trying to be, she still had some lingering fears.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know them. You saw them in there.”
“You’re right, I don’t know them, but neither do you, apparently.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Have you ever studied the lives of the wealthy? Do you know what dangers they face because of their wealth?”
“So?” Stubborn till the end.
“I’m striving to be a lowly ball player in the future, and even I know that I’ll have to make lots of changes in my life when that happens. I’ve read enough horror stories about what can happen if you’re not careful. Scratch all that. Do you think your parents hate you?”
“Of course not. They’re just… a lot to take in, especially mom.”
“Have you ever wondered why she’s the way she is? Did she have guards in school?”
“I’m not sure, I know she has a security detail now, but I never gave any thought to her younger years. I guess she might have.”
“Do your grandparents hate your mom?”
“No, they don’t. They adore her, both sets. I know most people have these preconceived notions about the dysfunctional elite, but the truth is, they’re just human with the same ups and downs in life. They just do it in style, I guess.”
“Since you know they’re just human, why do you put up so many barriers between you and them? Do you think you’re not one of them?”
“I’m one of them; of course, I know that. But what teenager wants her every decision supervised by her parents? Who wants to have to watch every move they make every second of the day? Why do I need round-the-clock protection?”
“You’re not a kid anymore, baby, so you have to change your way of thinking. As long as you’ve lived like this, you should know by now how to shut them out, how to live as if they’re not there. But what you need to do most of all is understand the need for such things in your life.”