“Mom, throwing money at me isn’t going to make anything better.”
Blinking back tears, she nodded. “Okay. I understand.” Her face told me she clearly didn’t understand. Money had always ruled her life.
“If you want,” I ventured slowly, “you can make it up to me another way.”
Her face lit up suddenly with hope. “I can?”
I nodded. “Yes. How about, once a month you come back to Austin and we’ll have lunch? We can talk and really get to know each other. I want a mother and a friend, not a bottomless bank account.”
Mom smiled and nodded. “Okay, Chloe. You got it. I’d like that very much.”
I realized that I would genuinely like it, too. Grinning, I reached up to touch Chase’s cheek, chasing away his still shocked expression with a kiss. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” I assured him.
Returning my kiss, he took one of my hands and pressed it against his heart. “I’m proud of you. That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen you do.”
I shrugged. “I didn’t need the money,” I told him truthfully. “Right now, I have everything I need.”
It was the truth. My internship was going well and Mr. Graves assured me that a reporting job would be waiting for me at the Statesmen after I graduated. It wasn’t fashion reporting at La Mode, but it was the first step on my chosen path to doing things on my own. I’d sold my Mustang and bought an older model with cash, stashing the rest to help toward my tuition and rent. I’d started an EBay account and was slowly selling off all my unworn outfits piece by piece. While my other friends would be walking the stage to get their diplomas next week, I was going to have to take summer classes to earn my final credits toward my degree. Nothing had happened the way I planned … but plans are for losers, and I wouldn’t have changed it for anything in the world.
About The Author
Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. With seven Fantasy and Science Fiction titles under her belt, Alicia strives to write multicultural characters and stories that touch the heart. V-Card, the first book of the Sharing Spaces series, was her first Contemporary Romance.
The mother of three and wife to a soldier, she loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.
Alicia can be found on the web at any of the following links:
www.fantasybyalicia.com
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www.goodreads.com/alicia_michaels
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Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed the second book in the Sharing Spaces series. I always love to hear from readers, so feel free to drop me a line at [email protected], or find me on social media. Don’t forget to leave a review of Brat wherever you purchased it. I do read all reader reviews and appreciate all feedback, good or critical.
Hugs and love,
Alicia
More by Alicia Michaels
The Lost Kingdom of Fallada Series
Beyond the Iron Gate (Prequel)
Daughter of the Red Dawn (Book 1)
Child of the Sacred Earth (Book 2)
Rise of the Tide (Book 3)
The Bionics Series
The Bionics (Book 1)
Titanium (Book 2)
Secrets (Book3)
Spark (Book 4)
Flame (Book 5)
Sharing Spaces Series
V-Card (Book 1)
Brat (Book 2)
Coming Soon
Thin (Sharing Spaces Book 3)
The Lost Kingdom of Fallada Book 4 (Currently Untitled)
Revolt (The Bionics Series Book 6)
Brat Page 18