with you, our relationship, or your family with anyone is somewhat unreasonable. Given how you’re supposed to talk about your life with the people close to you and you’re a large part of my life right now.”
“Right now?” He cocks his head. “Is that a threat?”
Like hell he’s making this my fault. “Sit your ass down, Beck.”
Frown in place, he sits on the couch opposite. His elbow rests on the arm of the couch, thumb and forefinger toying with his bottom lip. The boy is not happy. Neither am I. This paperwork is a wall between us.
“Time to negotiate,” I say. “I’ll agree not to discuss your family with anyone.”
He nods.
“And to restrict any discussion about the two of us to an agreed upon list of friends and family who will be forewarned not to discuss it with anyone else.”
“Forewarned, but not contractually obligated,” he says. “What are you going to tell them, exactly?”
“I don’t know exactly, but I can do my best to keep things in general terms.” My head hurts. At least the buzz from the margaritas has worn off. The whole conversation would probably have been better to have tomorrow. Though I doubt either of us would have gotten any sleep with this hanging over us. “Beck, I don’t want this relationship to isolate me. I don’t want to agree to anything that runs the risk of me winding up resenting you one day.”
An indentation appears between his brows.
“You wanted someone who wasn’t after you for your money,” I say. “And yet the money is such a big part of everything now.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can I have the NDA, please?” He reaches out, rising to his feet. I hand over the papers. Turns out he’s off to find a pen. The one he returns with gleams like polished metal in the firelight. Platinum probably. If you’re going to sign your name to million-dollar deals, I guess you may as well do it in style. He sits back down, and sets the paperwork on the coffee table. Several lines of text are crossed out with a swift series of authoritative strokes before he writes something at the bottom of the contract. “See if that’s agreeable.”
“All right.”
I reach for the papers, but for a moment he holds on to them, almost glaring at them. Then he takes a deep breath and lets it out slow. “Let me give you some context. About sixteen years back, when he was in college, Ethan started dating this girl. A journalism student. It got serious fast. He was planning on asking her to marry him once they graduated, but it was all fake. Turns out she was writing a book about the family and using him as a means of research. Dad managed to get the book shut down, but that’s when the background reports and the NDAs became mandatory for everyone.”
I take the papers. “No wonder he’s bitter. That’s horrible.”
Beck sits there, looking for all the world like a lost little boy. Just for a moment. Then his jaw firms, his gaze hardens. “Ethan and Penny are right; I need to protect both my interests and my family here.”
“From me.”
He says nothing. There is no denial.
And that stings. In fact, this whole fucking conversation is misery. What to do when your boyfriend turns into a complicated and costly legal dispute. Someone needs to write that how-to book. I swallow hard, my throat dry. “While I basically understand where you’re coming from, this is a lot to take in.”
“What did you think of the cohabitation agreement?”
“It seems pretty straightforward. It’s also very generous. A little too generous.” I rub at my temples, trying to alleviate the ache starting up inside my brain. “The allowance is a definite no. I’m going to find more work. Sitting at home waiting for you to have time for me in your busy schedule does not appeal.”
“It wouldn’t be like that.”
“There’s also the self-respect side of things to be considered.”
He presses his lips together for a moment. “All right.”
I hand over the second lot of papers and he peruses them, searching for the relevant subsection. This too is crossed out before he signs the contract.
I clear my throat. “As for the dissolution part—”
“That stays. You’ve upended your life and moved to Denver for me. The settlement should we terminate the relationship is fair and based on how long we’re together. I won’t negotiate that. You and your future must be protected too.” He