Billy & The Beast (Ever After, New York #3) - Eli Easton Page 0,47

like.”

I hesitated, but she was my mom. I took out my phone and showed her a photo I’d snuck on the boat. “He hates having his picture taken. I shouldn’t have snapped this one, but I just wanted something for me. He was so happy that day. He loves sailing.”

She took the phone and looked at the photo. It was a three-quarter angle and a little blurry, but it was still beautiful. Aaron was beautiful, especially with the wind in his hair and a look of open happiness on his face. I’d stared at that photo so often it would have been dog-eared if it weren’t digital.

“He’s very handsome,” she said warmly. She handed me back the phone. I was glad she didn’t mention his mask or scarring. She only saw his beauty—just like me. “Now tell me all about it. As your mother, I have dibs on all the latest gossip.”

I pulled over another stool and sat close to her. I wasn’t sure I could even put it into words. “I’m in love with him, Mom. And I want . . . everything.”

Always a sucker for a love story, her eyes grew soft and damp. She reached out to rub my shoulder, waiting for me to go on.

“I want him to be happy. I want him to be able to live the life he deserves. And I want to be with him, like, joined at the hip with him, possibly forever, and for us to be at Malfleur, and travel the world, and be here with you, all at the same time. And I want dogs with him. Lots and lots of dogs.” I laughed, but it sounded desperate. “And I’m pretty sure most of that is mutually exclusive and against the natural order.”

She frowned. “What do you mean ‘against the natural order’?”

“I mean, he’s him and I’m me. He’s rich, Mom. And an investments whiz. And sort of larger than life. He could do so much better. I’m just . . . Billy Martin. A guy who goes to a small-town college and has never been anywhere. I’m his gardener. What can I really give him?”

It was hard to voice my insecurity, but I needed to talk about it with someone, and she was my mom. Things had been amazing between Aaron and me. So natural and easy lately. He seemed to be as much into me as I was into him. I knew we were in love, even if we hadn’t said the words. I knew he loved me.

But. The closer we got, the more I worried about what the future held. Would he really never leave Malfleur? The sailing expedition had been great, but would he always want to sneak out in the shadows? And then there was the small matter of his possible future indictment for that car accident. Or the much more pedestrian possibility that he’d grow tired of me—ordinary me.

Did he only want me around because I was his only option? I thought about that too.

My mom pursed her lips and took my hand. “You can give him your heart, Bill. Which is one in a million.”

“Says my mother,” I quipped, but I smiled anyway.

She kept my hand, squeezing it, looking at me worriedly. “I just hope he appreciates what he has. I want to meet him.”

“Uh, yeah, no,” I said, half joking. “He’s super private. And it’s a bit soon. Maybe in a few more weeks, if . . .” I couldn’t bring myself to say it. If we’re still together. Just the thought of that not being the case made my gut clench.

“By the way, you should have texted me and let me know you’d be home for lunch today. I would have waited until later to go to the store,” my mom admonished.

“I . . . what? I didn’t come home for lunch today.”

She gave me a bemused look, like I was having her on. “Well, you came home for something. I went to the store, and when I got home the front door was unlocked, and you’d obviously been in your room. Did you forget your swim trunks or something?”

I felt a chill. “Mom, I haven’t been here since I left early this morning. Are you sure you locked the front door when you went out?”

She didn’t look so bemused anymore. “Yes, I’m sure. You really weren’t here?”

I shook my head.

We went into the house, my mom following me. The door to my room was open and I stopped