Page 111 of Enchanting the CEO

I turned around to face them. "All right, this is legit. I vote we make an offer before Dad does.”

“I agree,” Maddox said.

Leo cleared his throat. “He already did, but I spoke to the seller. Asked him to wait for yours too. I might have filled him in on the kind of asshole Dad is. He agreed to wait. And if you outbid Dad by just 1 percent, he’ll take your offer.”

“How the fuck are they supposed to know how much Dad offered?” Nick asked.

“I found that out,” Leo said smugly.

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, man. Wasn't expecting that."

"Always the best for my brothers," he said.

He told us the sum Dad had bid. Maddox and I immediately agreed to offer 5 percent more—just to make sure. Leo sent an email to the seller right away.

“All right. Let’s go celebrate,” I said.

As we got in the car, I checked my messages. Seeing one from Diane, I opened it quickly and got confused. She'd texted me a link. When I clicked on it, it showed me a real estate listing. Maybe she'd sent it by mistake.

"Dude, are we going or what?" Leo asked.

"Just a second."

It was a one-bedroom apartment at the end of the world. How was that even Boston anymore? I didn't get it. Why was she sending me this?

Then I saw her message.

Diane: Hey, I just found this apartment, and it's something I could afford. What do you think? I'd love an opinion. My sister says it's a dump, but I really like the rent.

I felt as if someone had punched me in the throat. What the hell? She's been looking for apartments? Why would she do that?

"You're angry," Maddox said when I tossed the phone in the cupholder and gunned the engine.

"You could say that," I replied through gritted teeth. "I got a message from Diane."

"She decided to dump your ass?" Nick asked.

I frowned at him in the rearview mirror.

"Oh fuck, she did, huh? Why?"

"No. She sent me a link to a shitty apartment where she thinks she can move."

"Wait, you broke up?" Leo asked. "Also, why wouldn't she ask me to help her look for an apartment?"

"Dude, why would she do that if she planned to dump him? Then you’d tell him," Nick reasoned.

"She isn't dumping me," I said. "She's just..."

What? I had no idea.

"The living arrangement was supposed to be temporary," I explained, trying to make sense of it.

"Yeah, but that's before you hooked up, right?" Maddox said.

"Don't you dare talk about Diane like that." What Diane and I had was more than sexual. I cared about her and wanted—no, needed her with me. How did she not know that?

"What's gotten into you?" Leo asked.

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