“Do you want to?”
“One day, perhaps. So I can learn something that’ll earn me more. I just need money. I need to be secure, and not stressed out day to day or worrying about how my parents are doing. I want them to be comfortable as well because they really tried their best to give me what they could. But my dad’s health, my mother’s stress from trying to maintain everything and keep us afloat…”
He sighed. “Sounds like a whole lotta worrying going on there.”
“Along with a small dose of existential crisis, yeah. All I want is to make sure that my parents are comfortable. I don’t want them to struggle and then die without any payoff. That’s just…” She gritted her teeth. “That’d be crap.”
He honestly couldn’t grasp just how crushing poverty might be, but he did think one thing: This person in front of him had tried to make the best of her circumstances. In addition, she cared deeply for her family.
The trouble was the world tended to be cruel to those who were genuinely good. It was far easier for those who were corrupt to take power and harm those who could actually do good. His father had demonstrated that enough times, running his underground empire, forging connections around the globe, and building all that wealth.
“If things work out for me with the fighting, hopefully, you won’t need to worry about money for a long time. Out of curiosity, though… you bet a lot on me, right? Before entering into this arrangement?”
She nodded. He drove down the street that led to her apartment now – a rundown building on the poorer side of the city. An area that he knew had a fair amount of crime, and he worried a little bit for her safety.
“What did you do with the winnings? Or what do you plan to do with them?”
“I’ve paid rent upfront. I quit my job. I am helping out my parents financially without them being aware of how I got the money. I want to buy them a house – a big, beautiful one in the countryside. I just need to save more, earn more, and then find a way to surprise them with the proposition.”
“They own a house already, don’t they?”
“No. They’ve been renting most of their lives. They’ve never actually owned a house themselves – but they’ve been in this property for a long time.”
The car halted and they stared at each other for a moment. Cyrus examined her, trying to better comprehend who she was. Trying to understand her struggles. A deep admiration flooded his bones and the warmth spread.
“You really are a legitimately good person, aren’t you?” He hadn’t met many of those, yet here was one in the flesh. In his life. He hoped… that she might stick around a while.
She only cracked a smile in response. “Listen, I’ve been thinking… since you told me you were uninvited by your family. Maybe… you can come over to Thanksgiving with mine instead. They’re good people. I’m sure they’d be happy to accept you. And I promise my mom and dad and cousins, aunt, uncle – they don’t bite.”
Her invitation caused the warmth in him to practically glow. How kind an offer that was. “Thank you.” He took a deep breath. “I will consider it. Maybe it would be nice to experience Thanksgiving in a way that isn’t loaded like my family ones. Might be nice to not be judged for who I am.”
“Ha. I’ll have to warn you in advance, though – if you do come, you may get the really annoying parent questions. You know, ‘Is he your boyfriend?’ ‘Oh, he’s such a handsome man.’” Her voice went up in pitch, obviously imitating her mother. “‘You mustn’t let him get away. Oh, he will have to try my famous cookies.’”
He laughed, nudging her slightly. “They’re not seriously like that, are they?”
“Oh, just you wait.” She grinned, her eyes twinkling. At that moment, staring into her eyes, a thought hit him. A thought that said she was dangerous. That if they went on in this vein, if they talked like this, smiled and laughed like this – he might end up falling. Hard.
Considering his track record in relationships, he didn’t really expect the outcome of this one to work out well.
However…
Perhaps there was something different about her. Something worth falling for.
Not that he’d ever admit that out loud.
They broke eye contact after what seemed like ages. Her hand twitched a moment as if wanting a hug – but she refrained in the last moment and got out. He watched her go, not realizing he’d been holding his breath the entire time.
Well, well, well. This arrangement might turn out to be interesting, indeed…
Chapter Seven – Sasha
The first time Sasha was called into a meeting with one of the agents of the arena, they were… surprised, to say the least. Surprised that a human whelp like her was behind the mysterious ass-kicking of The Lonely, and even more surprised when she knew what she was talking about.
If the agent considered exploiting the situation, he would have had a hard time, what with Cyrus standing there in his mask, arms folded, just daring for the drama to unravel. She supposed that was part of the reason he chose to stand there.
Luckily, the arrangements didn’t require too much talking face to face because she was sure she’d be exposed for the fraud she was. A face in front of the true people operating the whole business – just so that their identities were not revealed to the public and subsequently bring their father’s wrath down upon them.
The more Sasha found out about Cyrus and Aleera’s family, the less she liked them. Honestly, it sounded exhausting being involved with them. Having to meet so many social expectations, fearing the loss of status in the supernatural world. It made her glad on a level that she wasn’t really a part of it. Just an acquaintance.