Roses Revenge novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: The Key Fob

Nobody on the porch said a word.

Paisley's hands lay flat over her stomach, and Colton watched my face to see what I would do with it.

"Congratulations," I said.

"Rose, listen." Colton stepped forward. "It's a hard time for everybody."

"It is."

"There's a baby. That changes things."

"It changes things for you," I said. "It changes nothing for me."

"We need help. Paisley can't work. I can't pay her. You can see where this is going."

I looked at him, and I could not find anything left in me to be surprised about.

"You came to my aunt's house at night," I said, "to ask me to pay for your girlfriend's baby."

"I came to ask you to be a decent person."

"Colton," Paisley said quietly.

"Not now."

"Colton, I want to know what she means."

He turned. "What?"

"When she said Aster was her money."

Paisley's voice was thin.

"You told me Aster was a family office. You said it was your family's friends."

"Paisley, not here."

"You said you made it all from nothing."

She stared at him.

"You said you were going to marry me in the spring, when the round closed."

"I was going to."

"With her money?"

"With the company's money."

"That was hers."

Behind me, Aunt Bea stood in the doorway with her arms folded.

On the sidewalk, a neighbor's porch light went on. Then another.

Colton dropped his voice, and the old coaxing tone came back into it.

"Baby, it's complicated. I'll explain it all later."

"Explain it now," Paisley said.

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