Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 167204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 557(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 557(@300wpm)
“Sure, but it sounds like because of his Blue Blood activities, he starts engaging in seemingly shady behaviors early in the relationship before that trust has a chance to be developed. Maybe they haven’t had a chance to get to know him yet.”
He nods. “Yeah, sometimes. But that’s why, unless they’re committed to marriage and either honest or particularly skilled at keeping their partner contentedly in the dark, Blue Bloods don’t famously have very successful romantic relationships.”
“Marriage or bust.”
“Pretty much. Dating doesn’t work for us. Too temporary.”
“Are there… any exceptions?”
I have to ask because while I’m deeply interested in the dynamics of his world, I’m also wondering…
Why is he telling me?
He’s clearly not meant to.
“Exceptions?”
I try not to be obvious, but I feel like my voice gives me away when I ask, “Are you only allowed to tell wives? There’s no other exception? Like, you can’t tell anyone else?”
“If you have a son you think has the potential to be a Blue Blood and he’s attending Calhoun as a legacy, you can tell him. Or if you have a daughter you’d like to marry off to a Blue Blood. You can tell her—or you can just tell them, and if anyone is potentially interested, he’ll find her.”
“But there’s no exception for other women.”
His gaze cuts to mine, and my tummy flutters. “No,” he says simply.
He lets that sit there for a moment, watches the movement of my throat as I swallow, then he goes on.
“But we’re all free to make our own decisions—and to live with the consequences of our choices. We know the stakes if we risk confiding in someone that we believe we can trust and it turns out we’re wrong, and while a Blue Blood is expected to have sound judgment, no one is perfect. Your brothers will support you through the first mistake. Past that, it’s no longer considered a mistake, but a deliberate choice to be reckless. It’s kinda like your advisors, you have to convince them about a class you want to take if they don’t agree it’s right for your degree. You can persuade the Blue Bloods to give you another chance if your mistake was reasonable and you’re committed to making it right, but they don’t hand out chances like candy, so you’d better be more careful going forward. If you slip up once and learn from it, no problem. If you slip up again, you’ll have to face a council of Blue Bloods and explain yourself.”
“Sounds intense.”
“It is. Your fate is in their hands. It’s pretty common knowledge that if you tell one person, you’re putting them at risk. You tell three people, you’re putting yourself at risk. And if the Blue Bloods decide they made the wrong choice recruiting you…”
“Membership revoked,” I guess.
He cracks a smile. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”
“Have you ever told anyone any of this before?” I ask softly.
“No.”
Dinner seemingly forgotten, he approaches me, closing the distance between us in the kitchen. Instinctively, I back up against the counter. “Are you putting me in danger by telling me?” I ask with forced lightness.
His lips tug up. “Not if you know how to keep your mouth shut—and judging by last night, you do.”
“How dare you,” I say without a bit of heat, but the heat certainly rises to my cheeks.
“Just don’t tell anyone you know anything more about the Blue Bloods than campus lore, and you’ll be fine.”
The last bit of distance between us is gone. He’s so close, I can feel his body heat.
His hands grip the edge of the counter at my back. He feels a bit like my captor again, but I have more faith in him today than I did last night. I lick my lips, looking up at him. “Why are you telling me?” I ask softly.
He keeps me pinned there, his piercing blue eyes locked with mine. “I don’t know. I guess you seem trustworthy.”
“I am.”
His gaze drops briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes. “There’s also the fact that you’re staying here now, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that things will come up. I may have to disappear for a while to handle things. You may not be able to reach me, and you won’t know where I am or what I’m doing or who I’m doing it with.”
My heart flips over.
He wanted me to know because he knows being a Blue Blood can destroy relationships before they even have a chance to develop. He didn’t want me to be in the dark. He didn’t want to lose my trust because he couldn’t explain. He didn’t want secrets to come between us.
He likes me.
And I like him, too.
Once it’s done flipping, my heart fills up with hope. I slide my arms around his neck and pull myself close enough that our bodies are touching. “Thank you for telling me.”