He Wanted Me To Give Him A Child~The Billionaire's Proposal

But he had made good on his promise to Mom, and I had never lacked the essentials over the last seven years. He had made sure my long stay at the hospital and subsequent rehabilitation were funded even though the payout from my father’s accident hadn’t covered all the hospital expenses. Later, I had a roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear, and he occasionally left an envelope with some extra money in it for me. It was not easy for a parent to support a sick child and he had been my step-father and lost the love of his life.

On my eighteenth, we had a long and emotional conversation. He was no longer obligated to take care of me since I was an adult, but he wanted me to finish high school before we parted. He had told me he would keep renting the house until I graduated, but when the lease ended, he would not renew it. He was on the verge of tears as he apologized. I had to assure him that it was okay. That I didn't want to stay in Atkins either. He had been relieved. I knew it was excruciating for him to return to the house he had chosen with my mother. He had imagined a rosy future with her, but instead, he came to a home that no longer had her. Instead, the constant reminder of her death walked around it unashamedly. I understood why he took extra work and kept away as much as he was allowed to.

"Willow?" Lorelei asked hesitantly. I turned my head to find her watching me. "What happens if this doesn't work? What are you going to do?"

"It has to work." I wrung my hands and stared at my lap stubbornly. "And if it doesn't, then I'm going to Quentin anyway. I could get a job… save up enough to attend college in a few years. I'm going to Quentin no matter what."

"You know you always have me, right?"

I gave her the best smile I could. There was little she wouldn’t do for me. And I felt the same way for her. I didn’t want to take advantage of her feelings, though. I respected her and even though she would share a cot with me if I asked, I wouldn’t. She had put down a deposit for a single housing unit and was leaving two weeks after we graduated. She would be a part of a special program for gifted first-year students and I didn’t want to put a wrench in her plans.

"I know. I plan on leaving with you. It's all going to work out somehow, Lory."

She patted me on my back. "Yes, it will. We're moving on to bigger and better things. The City of Opportunities won’t know what hit it!"

I grinned as she turned back to the computer.

"Okay, now let's unravel the elusive Mr. Rowe," her voice was filled with determination.

I pulled her beanbag next to the desk and watched as her fingers flew over the keys. I tried to remember what I knew of him… Mr. Rowe, that is. His family came from generational wealth. They had only resided in this area for a short period, during which time Mr. Rowe had graduated from Atkins High School. That was about twelve years ago.

He had attended the best university in the country and started his own entertainment business. Using his own strength and possibly his family's money, he disrupted how people consume television and content, and gained a lot of success in the entertainment business. With the merger between Rowe and Hampton, his company now rivaled the biggest media giants and producers in the world.

"Damn, he's got the looks of an angel!"

I straightened up and looked at the pictures, jolting out of my thoughts from Lory's exclamation. He was definitely a good-looking man. I could barely stop myself from noticing his chiseled features and piercing eyes. I tore my eyes away before I drooled over her keyboard, effectively ruining it.

"He'd be even better looking if he paid my tuition," I quipped. I gave her a smirk and she laughed.

"Well, he's a step up from Josh." She elbowed me lightly and I scowled at her mention of my ex-boyfriend.

"You should be the last person to tease me about that. You dated his best friend Tony!"

She groaned as I elbowed her right back. As we were equally embarrassed about our ex-boyfriends, I didn’t push it further. I chalked it up to learning experience.

"I still believe in true love and soul mates."

I rolled my eyes at her. She was a hopeless romantic. It was all the romance novels she was reading in her free time. I, on the other hand, had slowly given up on the idea of true love. It always seemed to end in tragedy.

"The last thing I'm worried about right now is falling in love. I just want to get out of here and have a bright future. Haven’t you heard? Love flies out of the back door if you are poor?" I tickled her side. "Now, are you going to find me the contact information or just stare at his pretty face?"

"Keep your pants on. I think I have his email. I need more time to get a hold of his personal number. It will be hard, though. That may be a few days."

By the time Lory's mom informed us dinner was served, we had already crafted an email and sent it off. I carefully told him the same thing as in my previous letter and hoped this would get a different treatment.