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"She'll have a strawberry cupcake," I declared, confident in my choice. It had been her favorite back when we were kids.
She arched an eyebrow, a hint of surprise dancing in her eyes as she glanced up at me. "What if I don’t want that?"
A playful grin tugged at the corners of my lips. "Well, you can have whatever you want…but I just have a good feeling about the strawberry cupcake."
Now would be the perfect time to tell her who I really am.
I’m not sure why I haven’t yet.
Maybe it would be an easy way to get her back.
But if I’m being honest, I haven’t said anything because I’m afraid she forgot me. That the eight months in the group home together has disappeared from her mind.
When it’s stuck in mine forever.
For now, I was content to savor the reunion, to make her fall in love with the Ari I was today.
“I actually do want the strawberry cupcake,” she finally whispered, before frowning as the employee boxed it up. “It used to be my favorite…I haven’t had one since…” Her words trailed off.
“Since when?”
She shot me a smile, but this time, there was a hint of wistful sadness lurking behind it. “Since I was a little girl.”
I didn’t press her any further, and after I ordered the same thing—just in case Blake wanted more after she finished hers—we got back in the car.
She was lost in her head again until we pulled up to the gates of the neighborhood where I was renting a house. It cost an arm and a leg, but with myyeartimeline, I didn’t want to invest in property when we’d be back in Dallas next year.
Emphasis on the “we.”
I was sure I could educate Blake on all the finer things about Dallas life.
Which was basically everything.
"This is gorgeous, is it your house?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness. I didn’t know what she was nervous about; I knew from her file her adopted parents had been like the parents in Richie Rich, so she would be used to nice things.
"Yep, home sweet home. Don't worry, I won't charge you admission," I teased, giving her a wink.
She bit her lip and her shoulders finally relaxed. She was smiling as we got out of the car.
I led her up the steps and through the grand front door, making a mental note to introduce her to my housekeeper, Miss Carlie, who’d been with me since I’d signed my rookie contract. She was like family to me and I’d brought her with me to Cali. She lived in the guest house in the backyard.
Even after all these years of making money…it was still weird to think I lived somewhere with a fucking guest house and a housekeeper.
The kid version of me would have called me a pretentious asshole.
The kid me would have only been kinda right.
Miss Carlie happened to be the best cook in the entire world though, and I would have been an idiot not to keep her around.
I parked in the driveway and led her to the front door, unlocking it and kicking off my shoes. Her silence continued as we walked through the foyer, gazing around curiously.
I rubbed the back of my head, trying to see it from her perspective. I guess it wasn’t very homey. No pictures or knick knacks anywhere.
I couldn’t exactly tell her I wasn’t really interested in decorating until she moved in.
I noticed then that Blake’s eyes were glued to the skin peeking out from where my shirt had risen.
She looked positively starving.
