Chapter 14

Ava

I sat down at the computer and checked my bank balance. When I’d gotten to the bank on Friday, I had realized Mason had given me a certified check and not a personal one. It was probably the best for him since it didn’t leave a trail, and it was nice for me because that meant the money would go through almost instantly. I hadn’t spent a dime of it, though. It just sat there staring at me, giving me a guilt trip I couldn’t seem to shake. I hadn’t even told my parents about the money, but I was getting ready to see them. Of course I would tell them about the money then. I was going to give them part of it, but where it came from was going to stay my little secret. Not only would they never take the money if they knew it was from the Yorks, but they would never speak to me again if they found out how I’d earned it.

Their hate for the Yorks was understandable and went all the way down the chain to Mason. They didn’t want me having anything to do with him, and they had seen through the tabloids—true or not—what kind of man he had turned into. Just looking at him, it was clear he had embraced the lifestyle of the rich and famous wholeheartedly. Sure, being rich didn’t make you an automatic asshole, but in my parents’ eyes, it had made Mason into a miniature version of his father, the man who had destroyed my father’s business and legacy.

They could never find out I’d had any contact with Mason beyond that day at the mattress store. I had told my mother about that when it had happened, and though my father hadn’t brought it up, I was sure she’d told him about it. They weren’t the kind of couple who kept things from each other, especially when it came to their archenemies’ contact with their daughter. My father would keep it to himself. He was understanding of my bond with my mother, but he would never forget it and would find it a betrayal of his family. Sometimes, I felt like we were living in the medieval times where my father would go and kill the Yorks in my honor. I was pretty sure he had visions of that from time to time. I could never fully know how losing his business had affected my dad, but he was a different man than he had been a decade before.

If they knew I had gone to that meeting with Mason, that I had sat across the table from him and talked to him about things, they would lose their minds. If they knew I took money from him, they wouldn’t even know how to react. My father would probably disown me and then get up from the table and walk away without another word. My mother would cry and tell me how much of a disappointment I had become. The Yorks would win again by tearing our family apart at the seams. I couldn’t allow that to happen and would take that meeting to the grave if I needed to. I knew it was dramatic, but the whole situation with them since I was eighteen years old had been dramatic.

I felt so bad for lying to my parents. Our honesty and trust had been what had gotten us through all the hard times. I had to remind myself that telling them I got it from modeling gigs wasn’t a complete lie, but omitting the truth was nearly as bad in my parents’ eyes. I was just going to have to suck it up, knowing the alternative would be much, much worse. They never really knew how much I made modeling anyway. They only knew it paid for my tuition after my scholarships were applied. They knew it had to be a good amount because I could afford my own place, I took care of myself completely, and I gave them any extra I had any time I had it. They hated taking it from me, but I knew they needed it, and I never took no for an answer.

I opened my checkbook and wrote my parents’ names at the top. I paused, doing calculations in my head, and then wrote down the number and spelled it out on the line below. As I signed the check, I felt like I was signing it in blood, using lies to take care of my mother and father with the money that had destroyed them in the first place. At the same time, the money—and a whole lot more—was owed to them. I tore the check out and put it in an envelope and sealed it. I set it on the desk and stared down at it, having a serious crisis of conscience. Part of me wanted to rip it up and go do something with it anonymously, like pay part of their mortgage, but I knew that wouldn’t feel any better. At least this way they could do whatever they needed to do with it and give themselves some peace of mind.

I ended up giving them fourteen thousand of the twenty-four grand. That left me enough to pay the remainder of my tuition for the next semester and a little extra to put into savings. I wanted to give them more than half, and it only made sense. They needed it more than I did, and they deserved it more than I did. I may have been the one at the meeting, but I was only there to collect the check. They deserved to be happy and to feel comfortable and taken care of. My parents lived modestly. They had learned that, to survive, they would have to be that way. They would make that fourteen thousand last a long time.

I put the envelope in my purse and headed out of the apartment to meet them for dinner. We had picked a small Italian joint down the street from their house, and they were there waiting for me when I arrived. My mom looked happy and so did my dad, but they never really looked unhappy these days. They always put on a brave face for me.

“Hey, sweetie,” my mom said, hugging me tightly.

“Hey, Mom.” I returned her hug.

“You look good,” my dad said with a smile.

I kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“We already ordered your favorite appetizer,” my mom said.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. We could have just done entrees.”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” my dad said, knowing why I was saying that. “So, how is work?”

“Actually, it’s been amazing.” I clasped my purse in my lap. “I’ve had a ton of gigs, and they all paid way better than the other ones. I’ve been able to pay next semester’s tuition already.”

“Honey, that is great,” my mom said, smiling.

“Maybe I should get into the modeling business,” my dad said with a smirk.

“Well, I don’t think that will be necessary. Things have been fantastic for me. I can afford tuition, I have six months of bills in the bank, and I have everything I need. So, I thought I would give you something.” I pulled out the envelope.

“Honey, you don’t need to give us anything.” Mom peered inside the envelope and then gasped. “Ava, good lord.”

“What?” My dad took the envelope and look at the contents. “Ava, how in the world did you have that much left over?”

“I told you, Dad, I had a lot of really well-paying gigs,” I said. “Modeling is no joke. When you become popular, they pay you really well, and the agency gets me higher wages too.”

Mom shook her head. “No. We absolutely cannot take this.”

“Your mother is right, Ava. You did the work for this,” he said. “You’re out there busting your butt to make this kind of money, and we couldn’t even begin to think about taking it from you. You’re our daughter.”

“I won’t accept that excuse,” I said. “You’re going to take that money, and you’re going to get caught up on anything you need to, and then you’re going to buy Mom a pretty dress and take her out to dinner somewhere outside Brooklyn.”

“Honey,” my mom said, “that sounds wonderful, but we absolutely can’t accept this.”

“Look,” I said. “My whole life, I have watched you guys bust your butts to make things happen. When I was a kid, it was with the hotels, and as an adult, it was with anything you could do to make it work. You’re the hardest-working people I have ever met. You’re the reason I’m hardworking, the reason I don’t let myself fail at anything. That didn’t come out of nowhere. I learned that from you. You guys deserve to be comfortable, even if it’s just for a few months. I never want to see you need or want for anything, and I will always do whatever I can to make sure you’re comfortable. I don’t model because I like it. I do it because it affords us opportunities, which is exactly what you did for me growing up. I want you to take it, and if you don’t, it will really hurt me.”

“I don’t think she’s going to take no for an answer,” my father said, looking at my mother.

“Ava, you’re the best thing that has ever happened to us,” my mother said with tears in her eyes. “You’ve made both of us so proud, prouder than any parent could be of their child. Your generosity and kind heart are things to be envied. Thank you for this, from the bottom of our hearts.”

“I love you guys,” I said, smiling. “And now I can sleep better knowing that you’re okay.”

“Well, let’s celebrate then,” my father said as the waitress brought the appetizer to the table. “To your good fortune and our blessing of having you in our lives.”

“Here, here.” Mom raised her glass in a toast.

The rest of dinner was awesome. My dad reminisced about when he and my mom were dating and then when I was a child, and then he talked about a possible promotion at work. It was the first time in a long time I had seen my father look even remotely relaxed. I knew it had to do with the money. It was because he knew they would be okay for a little while longer. That made me feel really good inside, knowing I could help the people I loved the most.

Still, in the back of my mind, there was this nagging feeling of guilt. I had lied to their faces and put a check in their hands that had ultimately come from the Yorks. I couldn’t tell what was worse, knowing I had lied to them or knowing that it had felt good to take the Yorks’ money. Only part of my motivation regarding school was about the money, and that was only to make sure my parents were comfortable for the rest of their lives. The rest of it had always come from my desire for the Yorks to get their due punishment for ruining good people. But did I really want to do to them what they had done to us? I felt like I was turning into someone I didn’t recognize. I also knew where that feeling was coming from. It was from Mason, who had really gotten into my head.