Page 8 of Billion Dollar Mistake

I step into the hot shower and try to find the energy for another few hours before I can crawl into bed and sleep.

When I return to the kitchen, I notice Chelsea is home and she’s setting the table for dinner. She’s wearing her usual activewear, this time a bright blue, which compliments her dark hair and sun-kissed skin.

“Hey, Chels.” I walk over to help her. She’s taller than Summer and me at five foot nine and all legs.

“Hey!” She peers down at me with a smile. Summer lowers a bowl on the table. As I finish putting the last fork down.

We all take our seats.

“Oh. I forgot something.” Summer stands. She walks to the fridge and pulls out the champagne. It’s been in there for a few weeks. We have been waiting for this moment.

She stares at me. “Please tell me the interview went well.”

I nod with a big smile. “I got the job.”

Summer pours us a drink and they both come over and hug me. Tears prick my eyes from the support. It feels like it’s been a long time coming. All my hard work at school has finally paid off. I’m an adult with a full-time job. My dream job. A job I feel I’ll be good at. And it’ll be nice to make my own money.

“You guys are going to make me cry.” I pick up my napkin and dab my eyes.

“It’s okay. I’m sure it’s a lot. You’ve finished college and now you have a job in a fancy New York office.” Summer rubs my arm. It soothes me.

“Yeah, but enough about me. What about you girls? Anything exciting happen?” I ask.

“I dissected—” Summer begins.

I wave my arms. “No vet talk at the table. I want to be able to eat my dinner.”

“Yeah, save it for later,” Chelsea adds.

A phone chimes. Chelsea lifts her phone from the table and winces.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Yeah. I was supposed to see Bobby tonight, but he’s working late again.”

Her eyes haven't left the screen and I want to scream and tell her to dump him. Her boyfriend of two years, Bobby, is a jerk. He never puts her first, and always finds a way to put her down. She’s becoming a shell of her bubbly self. He definitely doesn’t realize how special she is.

“I’m sorry, Chels,” I say genuinely as I grab her forearm and gently squeeze it until she looks up at me from her phone.

My stare says what I wish I could say, but she’s already heard me say you should break up with him. I don’t want to repeat myself and push her away. I’m her safe place. She knows Summer and I are going to be here for her when that day comes. And it will come. Bobby is a liar and a cheater. An all-around douchebag.

We eat in silence and Chelsea is the first to retreat to her room. I clean up with Summer. We give each other looks but don’t utter a word. We don’t want Chelsea hearing us bitch about Bobby. It would hurt her more.

After the kitchen is tidy, I say goodnight and head up to my room. Lying on my double bed, I pick up my phone ready to catch up on the day, but I see a message from an unknown number.

Unknown: You never sent me the contract.

Chapter 4

Jeremy

I should be sleeping. But after hours of tossing and turning, I give up and reach for my phone. It’s never a good idea because nights like this end up with me working through most of it. But after scrolling through emails for a while, a message pops up.

Bentley: Who’s this?

For fuck’s sake. Is he for real?

I type back furiously.

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