Page 86 of Just Not That Into Billionaires

My mind is reeling. What?

She presses a fingertip to my lips. “Let me get this out for once. You texted me,” she continues, “and you were so sweet. I felt so ashamed, you have no idea. I couldn’t face you, even through texting! Of all people, it’s you I made a fool of myself in front of. I would think about it over and over, wishing I’d acted differently.”

Twenty

Francine

Benny’s watching me,surprised. As if this all is news to him. Maybe he’s just being nice.

“I had such a crush on you, but that’s no excuse,” I say. “If only I’d pulled my head out of my ass sooner on the guys I dated. But I’d decided I needed to be with a rich, flashy boyfriend and have everything be glittery and pretty dresses and limos and nightlife—that was my stupid plan of how I’d fit all of the life I’d missed into one summer.”

“I had no idea.”

“And of course you were annoyed at least half the time and focused on robot things. And then that night...I was so inappropriate. You were being nice to me, and I felt so ashamed for getting drunk and forcing myself on you.”

He studies my face, baffled. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Don’t candy-coat it,” she says.

“That’s why you left? Because you felt bad for trying to kiss me?”

Laughter erupts from the far corner. People are having fun on this beautiful spring night, creating a soundtrack that’s utterly wrong for the conversation that we’re having. “And I was too immature to know what to do,” I add.

“You do know we kissed at the wedding ceremony, right?”

“We did?”

“Enthusiastically,” he says. “I was all there for it. But by the time we were back at my place, we were obviously both too drunk…I didn’t want to do anything we’d regret. You shouldn’t have felt bad.” He frowns. “So…that’swhy you left?”

“Well…yeah,” I say. “And I want to officially apologize already.”

“You don’t have to,” he says strangely.

I feel this weight come off my shoulders. “Okay.” I smile. “Wow.” I feel like we just cleared something up, but Benny doesn’t seem happy. Does he truly not forgive me? “What is it?”

“Ummm…I just had it wrong too, I guess.”

“What?” I ask. “Did you think I got temporary amnesia or something? Abducted by aliens?”

“No...”

“What, then?”

“Nothing. I had it wrong, that’s all.”

“No, tell me!” I grab his shirt sleeve and tug on it playfully. “Now you have to tell me. We’re confessing all.”

“It’s not important.”

“It is to me! Don’t not tell me,” I beg. “Don’t shut me out.”

“I thought it was all just…maybe some sort of a joke. Or a game for you,” he says.

I stiffen. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’d come off that relationship with that jackass casino guy, and I thought you needed maybe…an ego boost.”

My throat feels tight. “Like I was just using you? Maliciously…”

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