Page 31 of Billion Dollar Mistake

His head tilts down to look at me. “Yeah. You?”

Staring into his eyes has me spilling the truth. “Yeah. Nothing else to do.”

“No boxing?”

I shake my head. I’m surprised he remembered even the small details about me.

“Not visiting your parents?”

I swallow the guilt because now with no phone I can’t do my check-ins with them. “I visit Friday to Sunday and call in between.” I bite my lip before exhaling slowly. “Well, I used to...”

He dips his chin but doesn’t say anything. He presses the lobby button on the elevator.

But we don’t move. Another minute later, he presses the button again.

Nothing happens.

“We haven’t moved,” I mutter, my chest tightening, and it feels like I’m suddenly breathing through a straw.

He presses the emergency button.

“It’s okay. We’ll be out soon,” he says, his voice trying to soothe me. There’s no one else in here. I’m alone with him for the first time and this is what happens.

My pulse speeds up as the lights in the elevator flicker. My skin is dampening with perspiration as realization dawns on me: we could be stuck in here for hours.

I take slow deep breaths. I don’t want to have a panic attack with him here. I’m not claustrophobic, but the panic rushing through me is from my fear of death.

“It’s alright. They won’t be long.” His voice sounds far away, but the touch on my arm brings my thoughts to focus on him and not the situation we’re in.

When he drops his hand away, I want to protest, but he hands me a bag, cutting off my line of thinking. “This is for you.”

I take the bag with a shaky hand and a puzzled expression. I look at him. He nods. Encouraging me.

I open the bag and see the familiar packaging. A brand new box of my lipstick and the latest iPhone box.

I blink rapidly and blurt out, “You bought these for me?”

I reach in and grab the box and see the word BRAVE and it’s the exact damn shade. How did he know?

“Yeah, I broke your lipstick—" he says.

“Not my phone,” I reply, turning the box in my hand still in a state of shock.

“No, but I needed to put my number in somewhere. I thought if I waited for you to buy it, I wouldn’t see you again.”

He wants to see me again.

“I can’t take this.” I hold out the bag.

He shakes his head.

“You can. I’m not taking it back.”

My brain hurts. It can’t handle all this niceness. I’m not used to it. I’ve never had a guy be this thoughtful well…ever.

Yet, this man buys me two expensive gifts. I’ve seen the Rolex on his wrist but still. Surely, he wants something.

“What do you want?” I ask, lowering the lipstick box back in the bag.

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