Read Online A Kiss of Color: The Complete 3 Book Collection by Cristina Grenier - Free Book Online

that you needed to study – and to dedicate yourself to it? That was something he himself couldn’t do. He’d had a natural talent for coding ever since he’d started as a teen, and had done relatively little to hone his skills.
    “Eight more years.” She smiled at him over a forkful of her salad, her eyes gleaming in anticipation. “I can’t wait.”
    He couldn’t help but smile. She was utterly adorable all excited like that. “What made you want to be a doctor?”
    The question made Helena’s smile fade somewhat, and for a moment, he was mortified, worried that he’d asked her the wrong question. However, though she looked more downcast, it didn’t seem like Helena was about to flee. She put her fork down, reaching for her water glass to take a sip. When she spoke, her voice held both melancholy and admiration. “My father. He was a doctor. One of the best in the state, actually. He was really dedicated to his job…he loved to help people. He helped me…when I was in a place where I didn’t think I could be helped.”
    Xavier proceeded as carefully as he could. “You mean…your mother?”
    The raven-haired girl’s eyes darkened. “I don’t really want to talk about it. Suffice to say that I was with her for most of my life. We lived across town close to Maynard…and my life was a living hell.”
    Maynard. Everyone in town knew the name of the street. It was like an invisible line you crossed over where the town suddenly became dangerous. People only lived in Maynard when they could afford to live nowhere else, and they got out as soon as they were able. His family being who they were, Xavier had only driven through that part of town a scant few times, but every time he had, his parents had turned their noses up at the poverty there and he himself had cringed at peoples’ living conditions.
    Helena had been raised in Maynard. The revelation gave him an entirely new perspective on the way she operated. It was one thing to study because you liked it. It was another thing to study when you believed that it would elevate you from a life that had tied you down. “So you left for college, I assume?”
    “A little before, actually. When I was sixteen, my mom and I had a…falling out. My dad wasn’t supposed to have custody of me. He didn’t even have visiting rights. But I had nowhere to go. I was lucky enough to have him take me in. He was the one who introduced me to medicine…and a lot of other things. Since that point, I haven’t really looked back.”
    When she talked about her father, it was with a reverence and respect that children rarely used to speak of their parents. He himself didn’t usually afford his mother and father such luxuries. Why should he? They were barely present in his life unless they wanted to show him off – and quite honestly, both of his sisters were better at tolerating them than him in that arena. “He must be really proud of you.” The young man smiled at Helena over his meal. “You’re like a fucking Organic Chemistry machine.”
    She laughed softly at his comment, before toying with her salad once more. “I hope he is.”
    Xavier’s brow shot up in inquiry. “You hope? Did something happen between the two of you?”
    Helena’s eyes darkened once more. “Yeah. Pancreatic Cancer.”
    Fucking shit.
    He thought he had it rough with parents that wouldn’t allow him to do what he wanted and a family name that hung over his head like a noose. Xavier didn’t think he’d ever met anyone with actual problems….not until Helena. Three or four years ago, her sad story probably would have driven him away. At that point, he’d been all parties and debauchery, with no reason to slow down or check himself.
    What a strange thing maturity was. Sitting across from her, he found himself entranced by Helena’s story. What had he ever had to overcome in his life? A little resistance from teachers and parents? This woman had a mother who obviously abused her, and a beloved