She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you…”
I cut her off. “Look, we’re happy, we’re together. Everything worked out.”
“You had no right!” She jumps off the bed like it has alligators on it, and she starts pacing the room, frantic. “I can’t believe you did this. You did it again! First with Jack and the inspection, and now this. Controlling! Going behind my back, when I specifically say NO! Doing things without my permission. You just barge into my life like you own me, like you have the right!” She sweeps her arms wide. “Ryker, I can’t… I can’t believe you!”
I want to jump out of bed and take her in my arms, but I can’t. I’m in too much pain. Shit.
She grasps for her clothes, throwing them onto her rigid body.
Then she stops what she’s doing and faces me, her shoulders squared. “And you had no fucking right to involve Popster! He doesn’t have a house now because his money is tied up in The Rose. And here I thought he had this idea on his own, and all along, it was YOU!”
I’ve got to calm her down. She’s about to storm out. I can’t let her leave. Shit. This isn’t what was supposed to happen. I feel panic tightening its grip in my chest.
“Aspen! Wait!” She turns around, and her eyes glow with hatred. “Where are you going?”
“Away from you! I never want to see you again! I can’t believe you. You lied to me. What else have you lied about? Wait, I don’t care!”
“Nothing, Aspen.” I say, my voice measured. “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you until now. You’re just being stubborn!” I yell. “You know I’m right!”
She huffs, and I continue, “And you’re one to talk! When are you going to tell him about the fire?”
She sharply inhales so much air, I think she’s going to burst. She grits her teeth and narrows her eyes at me. If looks could kill, I’d be dead. She says in a deathly whisper, “You involved my Popster!”
And for all her anger, a flash of sadness ripples in her dark eyes. Then, her voice goes up an octave as she adds, “And now he doesn’t have a home! And I can’t get his money to him! Stay out of my life!”
She storms out of the room, and I hear her slam the front door. Fuck.
I grab my phone and open up the messaging app.
Me: Incoming.
Emerson: Shit. Really?
Me: Yeah, it’s done. She’s on her way. You might want to hide.
I fall back onto the bed.
“Ouch!”
31
Aspen
Nausea, anxiety, and frustration pull my gut in different positions. I’m seeing fucking red! I drive into the bistro parking lot, and I see both Popster’s and my mom’s cars here. I figured they’d still be here eating breakfast. I storm into the place, and Popster is in his booth. He sees me and holds his hands up in surrender.
“What the hell?” I slam my body into the booth across from him and screech, “Do you have something you would like to tell me?”
Mom hears me and comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel hanging off her back pocket. “Hi, honey. How are…” I hold up my hand to stop her and return my focus to Popster.
“Well?” I ask him.
I’ve never raised my voice with Popster. Mom steps closer to the edge of the table, alarmed at my tone. “What’s going on?”
I slide my eyes to her, “Did you know about this, too?”
She flinches. “What are you talking about?”
I look back at Popster, “You tell her.”
Mom gingerly slides into the booth next to Popster, and he slowly scoots over, giving her room. She looks at him. “What’s going on, Dad?”
His blue eyes twinkle at me, and he says, “Aspen, it’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? Not a big deal? It’s a very big deal!” I respond.
“Will someone please tell me what’s going on here?” Mom yells.
Popster and I don’t say a word. We stare at each other.
“Go ahead, tell her,” I command.
He shrugs and looks at my mom. Then he glances back at me and says, “I might have sold my house to Ryker.”
“Oh fuck,” Mom replies. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a bunch of quarters. She puts them in the middle of the table and pushes them toward me. An offering.
“For starters, Popster, I can’t believe you did that behind my back.” My spine stiffens. “I can’t believe he got you involved in this!”
He tries his best to soothe the beast coming out of me, and says calmly, “I don’t see what the problem is with what we did. I know what your problem is though. Aspen, you’re too damn stubborn. But hey, I wanted to sell my house, and the idea to live at The Rose? It was brilliant.” He has the audacity to smile!
“I can’t believe he sold you on this cockamamie idea! Even worse, that you didn’t tell me!”
He looks confused. “Wait, Aspen. It wasn’t his idea.”
“What? Of course it was. He wanted to invest, and he found a way.”
My mom jumps in. “Dad, can you please just set the record straight. What the hell happened?”
“It was my idea, Aspen. He came in one time, eating right over there,” he says, pointing to the next booth over. “I overheard him offer you the money, and you, silly girl, turned it down. I also saw how you looked at him and smiled when he flirted with you.” He wags his finger at me, “And I know love when I see it. It reminds me of my parents. Think of me as your fairy godfather, waving a magic wand to help you two along, because clearly you needed help!”
“Popster,” I whisper.
He continues, “I’d been thinking about selling my house, anyway. Remember when I had it appraised? It wasn’t like it was some crazy new idea. The difference was, this time, I knew I was good
