CHAPTER 73: SECRET

He drove for a while, looking like he had the literal weight of the world on his shoulders. Eventually, we reached a downtown parking garage. He went inside and drove all the way to the top, letting us sit on the top level outside. He turned off the car and cleared his throat, looking anxious.

"What was all that?" I asked. "Why on earth does she think I'm your girlfriend?"

"I'll get to that, just... this story starts earlier than that," he explained quietly, and I sighed, leaning back in the seat. "My parents are in New York society. We were all children brought up for the sake of pictures, images... parties. My parents always put me on a date to important events growing up. From like... sixteen and on, I always had to take a girl to anything important."

"Okay, and how on earth does that concern me?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows, and he cleared his throat.

"When I moved away, I did whatever I could to avoid ever having to do that again. I hated it, it made me really miserable. Mo