Page 76 of The Guy Who Fake Dated Me

Courtney bit her lip. “I am sorry about how we left things.”

I resisted the urge to say, “You mean how you left me?”

She looked into my eyes, and for a split second, I once again saw the woman I’d fallen for. The one I’d wanted to spend my life with. “I’ve been watching you since I arrived, Logan, and I think I made a mistake all those years ago.”

Here we go.

“A mistake?”

She nodded. “You meant more to me than I realized.”

At one point in my life, I would have given my right arm to hear these words tumble from her lips, but now I had no desire to listen to her pretend that she’d felt something for me.

“But your expectations were too high. I didn’t think I’d ever live up to them.”

I blinked. “Expectations?” What was she talking about? All I’d ever asked her to do was love me. And consider moving to Big Bear.

“Yes, your—”

I interrupted her. “Courtney, stop. I don’t have feelings for you anymore. Whatever expectations I had are a moot point. We’re finished. We’ve been finished for ten years.”

Were those tears glistening in her eyes?

I was unaffected. “Unless you have something productive to say, can we finish this song in silence?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” She looked down. “I think I loved you but didn’t know what to do about it. Especially after I found—after I realized what you wanted in a woman.”

It felt like she was grasping at straws now. “So you walked away from my proposal and never looked back?” I didn’t bother to keep the angry edge out of my voice.

She sniffed. “Yes. It was a silly, childish reaction, and I’ve regretted it for ten years.”

“Have you?” I raised my eyebrows. “Because this is the first time I’ve seen you since that night.”

“I knew you wouldn’t take me back, not after what I did to you.” She took a breath and spoke in a stronger voice. “So, I moved on.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“But I never found anyone like you again.”

Is this the part where she would profess her undying love to me? It was more likely that she’d decided to try to throw a wrench between Victoria and me, and this was the best way she could think of to do it.

I rolled my eyes. “Courtney, stop.”

She blinked and I looked directly into her teary eyes.

“Just stop.”

Courtney nodded.

We went through the motions of waltzing—she kept sniffing, but I ignored her—and as soon as the tune slowed, I stepped back from her and started toward Victoria.

“Do you love her?” Courtney said.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. The moment my eyes rested on Victoria, the tension that had been building in my chest dissipated. I smiled, and when she smiled back, I felt like I was walking on the clouds.

William gave me a nod, and I offered my elbow to Victoria. She slipped her hand around my arm and hugged my side. The chill Courtney had left behind thawed under the onslaught of Victoria’s grin as we walked away from the siblings.

“Where are we headed?” Victoria asked.

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