Page 81 of Anything To Be With You

I have been punched and slapped. I have had things thrown at my head. When people don’t get their way, they tend to take it out on the person they feel responsible for it.

"So, CeCe, to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?" I ask.

"Well, Elle—"

"Do not put this on me! This was your idea!" Elle yells in the background.

"What was your idea?" I inquire.

"I was thinking of having you and Dani over for dinner tonight."

Dinner.

With Dani.

At Carrie and Elle’s.

I would rather scoop my eyes out with a rusty spoon. Those two are like a couple of bloodhounds. They’ll know something physical went down between Dani and me last night.

"I don’t think so."

"Lucas. Pleeeaaassseee." Carrie starts to whine into the phone.

Christ on a cracker. I hate when she does that. It always guilts trips me into doing shit and she knows it. "I shouldn’t be saying anything as it is not my place, but something happened last night with Daniella, and she is not in a good place right now."

That should shut her up.

"Dani’s totally on board with this, yeah. She’s even bringing her friend Erin and her hubby Jake." Carrie says enthusiastically.

Son of a bitch. I rub my forehead. "What time?"

Carrie squeals. "Yay! Be here for eight and wear something casual. Bring beer." The phone disconnects in my ear.

I hate when she does that too.

Tossing a shirt on, I swipe my keys and head out to The Beer Store while I’m thinking about it. The elevator doors open, and I curse under my breath.

"Hello, Lucas," Sarah says as she steps off the elevator. The Coach bag I bought her on our one-year anniversary dangling from her slim arm.

"Why are you here?"

"I haven't been able to get ahold of you, and Gabe refuses to talk to me. I was getting really worried."

"Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to speak with you and that's why you can't get ahold of me." I step onto the elevator, punching the button for the underground garage. "Goodbye, Sarah."

Sarah scurries into the elevator behind me. "I think we should talk about us," she says, eyeing my faded Iron Maiden shirt with disgust.

"There's nothing to talk about. You made the decision to cheat on me then leave and I have made my peace with that." I move to the far corner of the car.

"I made a mistake. I didn't value all your hard work to give me the greatest life I've ever had," she stands in front of me. "I realize now how much I truly do love you and I think we should give us another chance."

"There's no second chance. I found an amazing woman who wants to be with me because of who I am, not because of how much is in my bank account." The doors ding open and I push past her.

Her heels click on the cement as she tries to keep up. "Your money meant nothing to me, either. I love you for you."

"You don't love me, Sarah, you love my money. Maybe when we first started dating you loved me but once the money started rolling in, you stopped giving a shit about me and only focused on yourself and what my money could buy you." I stop at my truck.

"Why did you quit your job once I was financially stable enough to take care of everything? If you didn't love me for my money, you would've kept working."

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