I’ve never tasted scrambled eggs like this before.”
“It’s my secret recipe,” he winked.
“Jared has a secret for everything he cooks,” Karlie commented, sneakily stealing another piece of bacon while Jared wasn’t looking.
“I like to keep people on their toes,” Jared chucked, putting butter on his biscuit. He took a bite and a crumb sat adorably in the corner of his mouth.
Oh, how I longed to be that crumb.
My cheeks flamed at my thoughts.
What had gotten into me?
“What?” Jared asked, wiping his mouth. “Why are you blushing?”
“No reason,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. “This is nice,” I motioned to the three of us.
Karlie’s brows knitted together. “It’s just breakfast.”
Jared looked at me quizzically. “Did you never eat meals as a family?”
“No,” I shook my head. “My mother couldn’t be bothered by me. The nanny usually made me dinner but she wasn’t allowed to eat with me and once I got older, I cooked for myself.”
“That is… really sad,” Karlie looked at me sympathetically. “Like really sad.”
“Katy,” Jared said, causing me to turn and look at him. “You shouldn’t have been alone like that.” He looked at me sadly.
“It is what it is,” I shrugged. “It was the only thing I knew.”
“But it shouldn’t have been like that,” he swallowed a sip of orange juice.
I sighed. “My mom didn’t want me and I don’t know my dad. Family dinners weren’t something I even knew existed… I thought they only happened on TV.”
“Katy,” Jared said, and he looked like I’d torn his heart in two.
“It’s true,” I put my hands up in defense.
“Well,” Jared put his fork down, “That’s in the past. What matters is that you’re here, now, with us.”
23
KARLIE LEFT FOR SCHOOL AND I ENDED UP HELPING JARED WASH THE DISHES.
Cleaning the dirty dishes was actually fun, when you were doing it with someone you cared about. Jared resumed the ‘get to know’ session we started last night.
“Where’d you grow up?” He asked.
“Not far from here,” I shrugged. “About an hour’s drive. What about you?” I tried to get the conversation steered away from my family and life before Greenville.
“Born and raised here.” I handed him a plate and he patted it dry before opening the white cabinet and putting it away. “You had a nanny… So, I take it you come from money people.”
I gripped the plate in my hand so tightly that my knuckles turned red and then white. “My mom and grandparents have money, not me,” I ground out.
“Hey,” Jared put his hands up in surrender, “I’m not interested in money, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just trying to figure you out.”
“Jared,” I took a deep breath, “when I came here, I left that person I was, behind. Preston, destroyed what was left of that person. I was a stuck up, rich snob.” I snorted. “Actually, that’s a lie. I pretended to be those things because I thought it was what my mom wanted. It didn’t take me long to learn that I would never be anything that she wanted. I was simply the mistake that my grandmother wouldn’t let her abort.”
“Katy, don’t say that about yourself,” Jared took the plate from my hand before I dropped it.
“It’s true. She never wanted me. All she’s ever cared about is money and status. It’s who she is. She only wants me around when she’s trying to impress somebody because she’s trying to prove she cares about family. It’s a bunch of baloney. I’m sick of being a puppet in her games. That’s why I haven’t been back. Not that she’s even asked to see me,” I gripped the stainless steel sink. “I won’t be used, Jared,” I looked up at him through my lashes.
He reached out but let his hand drop away. “I would never use you, Katy. You know that.” He peered at me and I swear I saw all the way down to his perfect soul.
“I’m sorry,” I shook my head. “I know that.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “It’s just one of those things that really bugs me.”
He chuckled. “I can tell. Remember…” he peered at me through those thick, dark, lashes. “If you ever want to talk about something, I’m here to listen. I’m not like most guys. No selective hearing, here,” he pointed to his ears. “When you’re telling me something, I’m absorbing every word you’re saying.”
I shrugged, something I was doing a lot of, lately. I was going to have to work on controlling that before I dislocated