I pressed the button.
But not to call Marcus’s secretary.
I pressed end. Turned off my phone completely. Set it face down on the table.
Lycian reached me just as the screen went dark.
“Don’t,” he said. His voice was rough. Raw.
“I’m not.”
“You’re not?”
“I turned it off.”
He sank into the chair across from me. Relief flooded his face. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” It was the truth. “This is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Or the smartest.”
“My aunt needs that money.”
“I’ll give you the money.”
“I told you, I don’t want…”
“Not as payment. Not as charity.” He leaned forward. “As what I should have offered from the beginning. Help. Because you need it and I can give it.”
“And what do you want in return?”
“Nothing.”
“Lycian.”
“Okay, not nothing. I want you to give this
