Free Teacher: The Final Act (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy #3) by R. L. Merrill Page B

 
    “I’m sorry, I’m really not laughing at you.  But there’s no fucking way we’re having a prenup.  You’ve made it more than clear to me and everyone else that you don’t want anything to do with my money, so I don’t think we even need to worry about it.  Now is there anything else you’ve been ‘thinking about’ that you want to get off your lovely chest?”  
    I rolled my eyes.  ”Danny!  I’m serious!”  
    “I am too!  Don’t worry, I’m not going to shove it down your throat, but I’m going to make sure you have an expense account for when you take Jane places, for gas, shit like that.  Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been spending your own money on my daughter.  That’s going to stop, Jesse.”  
    I blew out a breath, completely not happy with how this conversation was going. “Danny...”
    He shook his head.  ”Mr. Bossypants is going to win this one.  I don’t care how fucking cute you look with that pouty lip.  I’ve already failed in taking care of you. I’m not going to do it again.  And I’m hoping you’ll let Bob take you to and from work.  He’s going to be at the house—”
    “No way, Danny!  I do not need to be driven to work.  If you want to have him drive Jane around, I understand, but I am perfectly capable of taking...”
    I stopped.  Obviously, in Danny’s world, I wasn’t perfectly capable of taking care of myself.  I jumped up off the stool, needing to move.  Danny watched me, cautiously.  I shook out my hands and paced around the kitchen.  
    “Jesse, we don’t have to talk about this now,” Danny said softly.  
    I turned on him and tried to control my anger, but I wasn’t very successful.  ” We are not really talking about anything!  I’m talking at you and you’re saying ‘No, Jesse.  No, Jesse.’  How is that us talking about this?”  
    He took a deep breath and started pulling at his goatee. “I’m sorry, honey.  I’m just trying to do right by you.  I fucking love you, Jesse!  I’ve told you over and over that I just want to take care of you like you take care of me.  Please?”  
    The goddamned ‘gimme look’ was back.  I figured I might as well just give up.  I sunk down on a chair and put my head in my hands, wincing when I came into contact with my bruised-to-shit forehead.  
    “I shouldn’t have even brought this up right now,” I said, wishing I could have a do-over.  Telling Danny I didn’t want to be taken care of when I looked like a mugging victim probably wasn’t the best idea.  
    Danny came around and knelt on the floor in front of me. “Jesse, you’ve been through hell.  Why don’t you just rest today?  I promise you can yell at me all you want when you are feeling better.  Okay?”  
    I groaned.  ”I don’t want to yell at you, Danny.  I just wish we were on more equal ground.”  
    He said in his most serious voice, “If you come down here on the floor, we’ll be on equal ground.”
    I couldn’t resist playful Danny.  I smiled and let him pull me onto the floor.  There was a bright patch of sunlight right where he laid us down on the thick carpet and wrapped me in his arms.  It felt really good. I let myself just relax into his embrace.  
    We spent the rest of the day being lazy at the Mannings’.  I called my parents and Cosmo and assured them I was fine.  Dad was proud of me for the headbutt, as I knew he would be, and he was very pleased to hear that I was going to be taking self-defense.  Cosmo wanted to see me in the flesh to know I was okay, so Danny invited him and the guys over for dinner.  I asked if the Mannings would be upset and he snorted.  
    “As often as they invite themselves over to my house?”
    Patricia came late in the afternoon and brought me some comfy clothes and two of my new dresses, along with my undergarments and medicine.  She said the police cleared the scene and Nora already had cleaners getting to work.  Danny called Nora