Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Of course. It made me very uncomfortable. The lies were impossible to keep track of. And it’s not easy hiding that kind of wealth. It shows in every clothing choice. The way you move through the world.”
“Right. Well, during that time, I said something like, ‘Surely Way will forgive Silas if he cares about him,’ and you said, ‘Lying about something that important is a sign of lack of trust.’”
“It is,” Kenji cried. “It was! We didn’t know Way then, and we were talking about his legal claim on half a billion dollars!”
I nodded. “And then you said Silas was lucky Way was so forgiving because you weren’t sure you would be.”
Kenji grimaced but sat up, crossing his legs. “And that’s true. Imagine you begin to care about someone and find out a decade later they didn’t trust you with an entire part of themselves.”
The vulnerability in his voice made my heart ache, even as it soared at his quiet admission of affection.
“I’m sorry, Kenji. I’m sorry I kept something so important from you.” I shifted, sitting up against the headboard. “Part of me worried that if I began to talk about it in my American life, it would make it real and bring this timeline closer when I wasn’t ready. Mostly, I was terrified my lies would confirm every negative thought you had about me and you’d be done with me for good.”
Kenji moved closer, pulling our joined hands into his lap, above the duvet he’d yanked over our legs. “I was hurt when I found out,” he admitted. “I thought it meant I wasn’t important enough or that you didn’t trust me.”
“It was the exact opposite—” I began, but he stopped me with a smile and a raised hand.
“I know neither of those things are true. I overheard you talking to Zane on the phone, and I get it now.” He took a breath. “Being here at Hawling House with your family—flipping through photo albums and hearing stories—makes me realize just how lonely it must have been. Your parents were so much older than everyone else’s, which probably added to the formality and the weight of expectation on you. Even at Eton, you would have been surrounded by social pressure based purely on who you were, not how you were.”
Kenji squeezed my fingers. “No wonder you were so afraid to tell us.”
“I’d never had friends like the guys before,” I admitted, feeling thready vestiges of that fear even saying it out loud. “What if they’d turned out to be like all the snobby assholes I’d grown up with? And it wasn’t just my surname. People in the peerage judged me for having an American mother, too. As Zane’s gran would say, ‘I couldn’t win for losin’.’ And then, once I knew they were good guys, I was terrified of losing them because I’d lied.”
“You never actually lied.” Kenji arched an eyebrow. “Believe me, I raked through my memories, trying to build a liar-liar case against you, and I came up empty. However, I will now be submitting those fake hookup NDAs as exhibits one through ten thousand. Asshole.”
I pulled him into my lap, wrapping my arms around him as he straddled me. “I plead guilty,” I said softly. “If you need more evidence, I also lied every time I acted like I was okay with a purely physical relationship with you.”
Kenji bit his lip. “Then it’s my turn to apologize.”
“What the hell for?” I asked, surprised.
“I never gave you a chance because I misjudged you. I thought you were reckless and shallow. A playboy who’d never commit, never take anything seriously, never be capable of devotion to his family. I was wrong. Impossibly wrong. And I’m sorry.” His gaze roamed over my face. “I’m also sorry my rescue moved up your timeline.”
I cupped his face and kissed him softly. “Nan was already pressuring me to come back. My dad needs to retire. They wouldn’t have been able to wait much longer.” I shrugged. “It was always going to happen at some point.”
“It’s your choice, Landry.” Kenji hesitated like he wanted to say more but instead gave me a brilliant smile. “But if it’s what you want, then I’m fucking here for it. I can help you accomplish your legacy, leave your own mark. You’ll make an excellent MP, and I will make an excellent MP’s spouse.” He straightened, all business. “If you need to see my CV, I have extensive experience supporting great men’s careers. Public relations, event planning, charitable endeavors, scheduling… I do it all.” His smile turned mischievous. “Even the occasional posting of bail.”
I barked out a laugh. “That was one time, Kenji. And there—”
“Three times, Landry,” he sighed. “Three. What the fuck? How do you not remember being arrested two out of three times in your life?”