Page 74 of Due Diligence

“You arenotpaying off my debt.”

“I want to.”

“You’re out of your mind,” I insisted, taking a step back from him. “You hated me three weeks ago.Hated me. You’re not just going to give me half a million dollars, Marcus.”

“Why not?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t need all this money. I don’t even care about the money. I’mconstantlylooking for shit to spend it on. Did you know I casually bought myself a robot cat litter box this morning? It cost me seven hundred dollars, Cass.Seven hundred. I literally bought it on my phone while I was walking into the office.”

“The point isn’t to give them money,” I countered. “They don’t need the money either. My dad makes over seven million dollars a year. The point is to prove I never needed their money. I can’t make a point if a guy I slept with once pays it off for me.”

Marcus ticked his eyebrows up. “You’re dead-set on this,” he realized.

“I really am,” I confirmed. “So there you go. Now you know how messed up my family is. Thoughts?”

“To be honest, Cass…I think you need therapy,” he told me.

“Go fuck yourself.”

Immediately, he took a step closer to me and put his hands on my arms. He ran them over me, warming my skin with his touch.“No, I don’t mean that as an insult. I would never.” Marcus let out a chuckle. “I talk with my therapist every week. I’ve done it since I was a kid. It’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

I couldn’t believe I had forgotten that, after the whole debacle with his binder. I was about to apologize when he shook his head—somehow, he knew I didn’t mean it.

“I just think you should have a space where you can talk to someone about how you feel,” he continued. “I think you would be surprised by how much we all need to do that occasionally. Even you.”

“I guess,” I murmured.

“Just think about it,” he said. He squeezed my shoulder. “How are you feeling? Ready to go back?”

“Sure,” I agreed. “I actually do feel a lot better.”

“It’s the talking,” he insisted. “And you know what else might make you feel better?”

“What?”

“Coming with me to Alex’s party.”

I looked over and saw he was grinning at me. I tried to resist the draw of that grin—the pull of his annoyingly handsome face. Forcing myself to look away, I cleared my throat. “I’m not PR-firm approved.”

“I could make that happen in a heartbeat,” he replied. “Come on. I’ll even take you to dinner beforehand and I’ll probably try to convince you to blow off the party. It’ll be fun.”

“It’s not happening,” I responded flatly. “Don’t ask again.”

Marcus let out a sigh and faced forward as we walked. “You let a girl cry on your good polo shirt, and this is how she repays you…”

“Send me an invoice if you’re so mad. You know I pay my debts.”

He laughed. “God we could have fun together. You have no idea.”

Chapter 20: Marcus

“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Alex asked as he rubbed his hand under his nostrils. He pinched them a couple times and inhaled deeply. When he looked at me, his eyes were already bloodshot and glassy.Cheers to him, I decided.And cheers to his dealer.

“I’m all set,” I replied. I finished my drink and placed the empty glass on the table, right next to the powdery remnants of the line of blow Alex just inhaled.

“Erin?” he asked, nodding at my date.

Classic Alex. Even when he was coked out in a way that would make the Rolling Stones nod with approval, he was still an impeccable host.

Predictably, Erin shook her head. “I’m studying tomorrow,” she responded.

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