Chapter 6 - The Father Who Came Back With Nothing
Six months later, Morgana no longer wore a maid’s uniform.
Because she wasn’t Roman’s maid.
She had enrolled in community college.
Business administration.
Roman had offered to pay.
Morgana refused.
So he gave her a job managing legitimate accounts for one of his shipping companies instead.
Her first paycheck arrived on a Friday.
She marched into Roman’s office.
“You overpaid me.”
Roman didn’t look up.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“I know math.”
“That’s encouraging considering your major.”
She dropped the paycheck onto his desk.
“This is twice what we agreed.”
Roman leaned back.
“You’re doing two people’s jobs.”
“Then hire another person.”
“I did.”
“Who?”
“You.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.”
“Roman.”
“Morgana.”
She hated when he did that.
Hayes appeared at the doorway.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“Visitor.”
“Who?”
Hayes looked at Morgana.
“Jason.”
Silence.
Morgana’s expression changed.
Roman stood.
She raised a hand.
“I’ll handle it.”
“Morgana—”
“My father.”
Roman reluctantly sat back.
“Door stays open.”
She almost laughed.
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’m told.”
Jason waited in the foyer.
He looked different.
Cleaner.
Sober.
Older.
He held an envelope.
“Hi.”
Morgana stopped several feet away.
“Hi.”
“I’ve been sober one hundred eighty-three days.”
She said nothing.
“I joined Gamblers Anonymous.”
“Okay.”
“I have a job.”
“That’s good.”
Jason held out the envelope.
“What’s that?”
“Money.”
Morgana didn’t take it.
“Forty thousand?”
“No.”
He smiled sadly.
“Three hundred and seventeen dollars.”
She stared.
“It’s my first payment.”
“For what?”
“For you.”
Her face hardened.
“You can’t repay what you did.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because I spent your whole childhood taking.”
Jason placed the envelope on a table.
“I thought maybe I could spend whatever’s left of my life giving something back.”
Morgana looked at him.
“You hurt me.”
“I know.”
“You sold me.”
His eyes filled.
“I know.”
“I may never forgive you.”
“I know that too.”
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Morgana said, “Keep the money.”
Jason looked down.
“Use it for rent. Food. Meetings. Whatever keeps you from becoming that man again.”
He nodded.
“Can I come back?”
“Not yet.”
Jason swallowed.
“But someday?”
Morgana looked toward Roman’s office.
Roman had stayed out of sight.
Exactly as she had asked.
“Maybe.”
Jason nodded.
“Maybe is more than I deserve.”
After he left, Roman appeared.
“How’d it go?”
“He’s sober.”
“For now.”
“You really are terrible at comforting people.”
“I warned you.”
Morgana laughed.
Roman stared at her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No. What?”
“I’ve never heard you laugh like that.”
Her smile slowly disappeared.
Roman approached.
“Morgana.”
“What?”
“I need to tell you something.”
She waited.
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“We established that months ago.”
“I mean anything.”
His eyes held hers.
“If you stay here because you think you owe me for protecting you, leave.”
Morgana’s heart began beating faster.
“And if I’m staying for another reason?”
Roman stepped closer.
“Then tell me.”
She looked up at him.
“You first.”
For perhaps the first time in his life, Roman Costa looked nervous.
“I want you here.”
“As an employee?”
“No.”
“As someone you rescued?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Roman paused.
“As the woman I’ve fallen in love with.”
Morgana stared at him.
Then she smiled.
“That took you long enough.”
Roman blinked.
“That’s your response?”
“No.”
May you like
She took his face between her hands and kissed him.
That was her response.
