She reached over and took my coffee cup from my hands, setting it on the bench beside us. Then she shifted her weight until she was facing me directly, one leg tucked underneath her, her knee pressing against my thigh.
"You didn't ask for any of this. You didn't scheme your way into our lives or try to manipulate us for our money. You just showed up and did your job and treated us like actual people instead of walking bank accounts."
"The bar for decent behavior seems pretty low in your world."
"You have no idea."
Her hand found mine, cool fingers threading through my own. The touch was gentle but deliberate, like she was making a point.
"I've watched you for three months. I've seen how you are with your sister, how you treat the people you work with, how you handle it when things go wrong. I've read your essays for Ms. Vance's class. I know that you're smarter than you pretend to be and more tired than you let anyone see."
"You read my essays?"
