“We don’t have to be.”

“Oh?” This ought to be good.

She shifted in her chair and pressed her lips together before she spoke. “Logan, I am sorry about what happened.”

We’d been through this, so I said nothing.

Several seconds went by before she spoke. “Because you’re the only man I ever truly loved. This is what I was trying to tell you at the ball.” Her words dripped with sincerity, and if I didn’t know her (and Crystal) so well, I may have been sympathetic. However, she’d had her chance, and she’d blown it.

“Sounds like you need to get out more,” I said.

“I’ve been with a dozen men since you, and none of them measured up.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“Someone caring, kind, fun-loving. Someone like you.”

Any other day, flattery might have gotten her somewhere, but not now. “Courtney, you’re looking for someone who you can control. You need someone nice because that’s the only way any relationship you’re in will work.”

Tears glistened in her eyes. I ignored them. “You don’t want to get back together with me, you want to make sure that everyone around you is as miserable as you are.” This was basic Crystal 101. “But it’s not going to work. I’m happy with who I am, and I’m excited to see where this thing with Victoria goes. I don’t need your approval or your blessing. I don’t need you to be happy about it, and I don’t need you to like us.” I got to my feet. “Actually, I don’t need you at all.”

Courtney jumped up and ran around the table to intercept me before I walked off. She grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me to a stop. “Victoria isn’t who you think she is.”

“Beautiful, wonderful, and amazing?”

“There’s something wrong with her. She’s been doing crazy things since last night.”

Courtney was even worse than Crystal. “Now you’re trying to slander her? Pitiful.”

“No, really.” She now had both of my elbows in her grasp. We stood toe to toe. “She kept scrubbing things in the bathroom. Mirrors, sinks, counter tops…something’s not right.”

I had to admit, Victoria had been doing a bunch of random cleaning, but I still thought it was just her trying to burn off some extra energy. “And it’s your job to inform me?”

Instead of answering, Courtney did the last thing I’d expected. She jerked me forward and down and ambush kissed me.

For a moment I froze, then I registered her lips on mine and her hands rubbing my back.

There was no fire, no ice, nothing but numb, like at the dentist when you got a cavity filled.

This was a big nope.

I took her by the shoulders and pushed her away. Now I knew how Victoria had felt when I’d done this to her outside the hotel.

Only she’d kind of been into it. I wasn’t into Courtney.

She glared up at me, and I shook my head. “I don’t know what this is about, but you need to grow up.” With that, I let her go, turned, and walked away.

William, who was approaching with a glass of water in each hand, furrowed his eyebrows as I passed him. He muttered, “Sorry.”

I gave him a small head shake to make sure he knew I wasn’t mad at him, then made my way toward the women’s bathroom. Victoria and Greta stood outside, both of them gaping at me.

Wonderful, was this going to be the moment when Victoria stormed off after seeing Courtney kiss me? She’d wail that I didn’t love her anymore, and that would be that. I took a breath to steel my nerves and sped up.

By the time I got there, both Victoria and Greta were standing with their arms folded looking between each other and me.

Greta’s voice reached me first. “That was a level three kiss. Tops.”

Victoria’s expression was one of forced anger. I could see her lips twitching and wanting to grin. “I’d give it a two, and it didn’t look like she asked permission.”