Page 6 of The Billionaire's Secret Kiss

I managed to get a small loan to cover the gap for spring tuition. Since I'd already started and I couldn't get a refund, it seemed smarter to find a way to finish. I was still paying off that loan. It hadn’t seemed like much money at the time, but when every penny is going to rent and food, even a small loan is nearly impossible to pay off.

I hadn't enrolled again. I wouldn't. Not until I could pay my tuition upfront. Until Vance and Maggie had hired me, I'd been couch surfing in a very crowded apartment, waiting tables and trying to save for tuition to finish school. Between my share of the rent, the loan, and saving, things had been tight. Very tight.

I tried not to be angry at my parents. Their change in circumstance had been a lot rougher on them than it had been on me. My dad managed to find another job at half the salary he was used to. They'd gone from a nice suburban house to a tiny condo. My parents were doing the best they could, and every time they asked how I was, I smiled and told them I was fine.

I wasn't fine. I missed school painfully. Losing Noah was bad enough, but leaving school on top of it—I felt like a shell of myself most days. More than anything, I just wanted to get back to how things were. I wanted to finish school, get a job in my field, and move on with my life.

I was tired of being stuck in between, spinning my wheels while I saved money and waited for things to change.

"Ella, how have you been?" Oliver asked, again in that gentle tone that made me nervous.

I shrugged. "I've been okay. I think I told you I got a job as a nanny for Vance and Magnolia Winters. That's made things easier, and it comes with a place to live so I can save more money. And I've been doing some freelance work here and there for WGC. That helps too."

"WGC? Winters Gaming Corp.? That's not really your field of expertise. How'd you get that gig?" Oliver steepled his fingers under his chin and studied me as if I were a puzzle he wanted to solve. I'd seen him aim that look at students before. It was a little unnerving, but I knew he meant well.

"Do you know Emily Winslow and Jo Miller? They graduated last year." At Oliver's nod, I went on. "We're pretty good friends, and they're dating Holden and Tate Winters. I’ve gotten to know them, and when they heard what happened, they offered me some freelance work. I’m pretty sure they could get someone more qualified or someone in-house, but what they've been sending me isn't too advanced. If I had another option, I wouldn't take it, but . . ."

I trailed off. I knew, and both Holden and Tate knew, that I was not their best option for the programming work they'd been sending me. I was pretty sure they had employees in-house to do it, though they claimed they were continually short-staffed and under pressure to make deadlines.

I didn't push because I needed the money. They'd offered to lend me the cash for tuition. For that matter, so had Vance and Maggie. I'd wanted to take their offers so badly I could taste it. I wanted to be back in school. But I wasn't borrowing any more money.

I'd already learned how easy it was to take a loan and how hard it was to pay it back.

My field was fascinating and exciting, but it wasn't lucrative. Not unless I ended up developing some breakthrough app that sold like crazy. It could happen, but it wasn't likely. If I were lucky, I’d find a job in academia, which would be fine with me. It would be great. But it wouldn't necessarily leave me in a position to pay off loans.

I'd seen firsthand the devastation that debt could wreak. Every time I was tempted to take one of my friends’ offers, I thought about my mom, carefully decorating her one-bedroom condo with the few things she'd been able to salvage from her former life, pasting on a bright smile and acting like everything was okay when inside, I knew it was killing her.

I wasn't going there. I was not going to borrow a goddamned dime. I would wait, and I would save every penny until I could do it myself.

"That's good news, Ella. It sounds like you're making some headway on the tuition front," Oliver said encouragingly. "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to having you back in class. It's not the same around here without you."

I didn't have to try hard to read between the lines. "But you can't let me volunteer in the program until I'm officially enrolled," I said, trying to keep my voice even.

Slowly, Oliver shook his head. He didn't try to hide the regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ella. I tried. I'd love to have you back, if not as a student, then as a volunteer. But the department consensus was that any position on the project had to be held by a current student. The experience is too valuable to give away if it can't be applied to the degree. I can promise you that as soon as you can pay tuition, you have a place here. I don't want you to lose hope."

"I understand," I said, swallowing hard. I'd known it was a long shot. It meant a lot that Oliver had volunteered to ask. There were students who’d give anything to work on this project, and I wasn’t a student anymore.

"Have you looked into grants again? Maybe there are better loan options than there were last time?" Oliver asked encouragingly.

I shook my head. "None of the grants I'm eligible for would cover enough of the cost," I said. "And I'm not going to get another loan. I'm still paying off that last semester. I should be clear of it by next month, but if I borrow enough to pay for tuition, I'll be in a hole forever."

"I understand," Oliver said, coming to his feet and setting a hand on my shoulder briefly before turning to the door. I stood, too. I knew that he meant it. He knew what had happened with my parents, knew why I wouldn't get a loan.

"Thanks for trying, Oliver," I said, heading out the door.

"Anytime, Ella. Stay in touch. As soon as you think you'll be back, let me know."

"I will," I promised.

I ran down the stairs to the lobby of the building and pushed open the doors, the crisp November air bringing tears to my eyes. Maybe it wasn't the air. I'd known Oliver probably couldn't get me back in the program, even as a volunteer. I hadn't realized how much I'd been counting on it.

I strode down the block to my car, my head down. Sliding behind the wheel, I put my keys in the ignition but didn't turn them. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against the steering wheel, and cried.

Chapter Three

Noah

Icouldn't believe Ella punched me.