Page 14 of My Hired Valentine

Dinner with him… or Dex loses everything.

Tears prick at my eyes, and I clutch my phone tighter, my mind racing. I can’t let this happen. I won’t.

But how do I stop it without losing everything that’s just started to feel so right?

CHAPTER 14

Dex

The table is set with care—a white linen cloth, romantic candles, fresh flowers, and the faint sound of jazz playing in the background. The scent of the homemade risotto and seared scallops I’ve been perfecting all afternoon lingers in the air. Everything is ready.

Everything except her.

I glance at my phone for what feels like the hundredth time, hoping for a text saying she’s on her way. But the screen remains dark. Still, I can’t help but smile as I imagine how Violet will react when she sees all this. The way her eyes will light up, the soft laugh she’ll give when she realizes I cooked for her. I can already hear her teasing me, calling me “Chef Faletti.”

Tonight’s the night. I’m going to tell her everything. How she’s changed me. How I’ve never felt this way before, and how I can’t imagine a future without her in it. It might be soon, but I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. Violet is it for me. And I love her.

My phone buzzes, and my chest tightens with anticipation. I grab it off the counter and unlock it quickly, eager to see her name.

The text is from Violet, but my stomach plummets as I read the words.

Violet:Dex, I’m sorry, but it’s time to put an end to the charade we’ve gotten swept up in. It started out as fake, and now that I’ve had time to think about it, that’s all it ever really was. Fake. I had fun, but this isn’t real. It never was. I wish you all the best, Dex. I really do. Chase your dreams.

Iread it again. And again. The words blur on the screen, but the meaning is painfully clear.

It’s over.

My hand tightens around the phone, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I try to process what the hell just happened. Fake? That’s what she thinks this is? My chest aches as her words replay in my head, each one sharper than the last.

I set the phone down and lean against the counter, staring at the perfectly set table. The candles flicker, mocking me with their romantic glow. I’d been so sure that she felt the same way I did. That what we had was real.

I run a hand through my hair, frustration, and heartbreak tangling into a knot in my chest. It’s not fake. I know it’s not. The way she looks at me, the way she laughs at my stupid jokes, the way she melts under my touch—that’s not fake.

And yet, she’s pulling away.

I pace the room, my mind racing. Did I push too hard? Did I misread the signs? No. I know what we have. I know what itmeans. She’s scared—that has to be it. She’s been hurt before, and now she’s running before I have the chance to hurt her, too.

I stop pacing and stare out the window at the waves crashing against the shore. My hands ball into fists at my sides. I can’t let this end like this. Not when I know how much we could be.

But how do I reach her without pushing her further away?

I grab the phone again, staring at her text. My thumb hovers over the keyboard, but I don’t know what to say. What can I say? If she’s already convinced herself this is fake, no amount of texting will change her mind.

I set the phone down again, my jaw tightening with conviction.

I turn off the stove, sweep my keys off the counter, and grab my jacket.

This isn’t over. It can’t be.

Because I’m not giving up on us.

CHAPTER 15

Violet

The Velvet Fork is exactly the kind of place Harris would pick—swanky, over-the-top, and pretentious. I park outside and grip the steering wheel, considering my options. I could drive away. Pack my things, leave town, and never look back.

But that wouldn’t solve anything. There will always be another Wayne Harris, another man who thinks he can control me. But there will never be another Dex.

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