Page 63 of Shameless
“Fair enough.”
Isabel glanced around. “Besides, you’ll seriously clean it first. You were never this messy in all the years I’ve known you.”
I nodded. “I’ll pay for the deep clean when I let the maid back in.”
Isabel placed a hand on her hip and asked, “Did he really pay you twenty-five million dollars?”
“I have wired the money back,” I said, hating the idea of Michael paying me off. I wasn’t there for his cash.
“You’re breaking up our group for real, then,” Isabel said.
I closed my eyes and wished I was smarter and more capable. “I love you all.”
“So you do know how to love,” Kelly said and hugged me.
I swallowed and saw how Isabel was quiet. I let Kelly go and said, “Please stop trying to fix me, Isabel. I’m not going to marry him for his money.”
Kelly then said, “How about because he clearly loves you?”
I tensed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Kelly stared at me like I was crazy. “He moved in here with you, took you home to his parents, your parents, bought you a dream place, and did everything to make you happy.”
“Michael’s sweet,” I said.
Isabel added. “He is knee-deep in love with you. I’d bet money on it.”
If he did, then he was crazy. I was a walking disaster.
I shook my head. “Let’s not talk about bets.”
Isabel said, “Because of his sister and some Scottish guy the blog talked about?”
My eyes widened. The day before, my mother had mocked me for thinking I could manipulate Michael’s family. I opened my phone to the blog, which I hadn’t read since.
“You heard about Bernadette?” I asked.
As both my friends nodded, Isabel said, “Avril feels for her. It was why we stayed in London longer. She tried to stop the blackmail, but the blogger refused to listen and talked bad about the Norouzis, Michael, us, and you. Then Michael was having a hard time ending the contract with Bernadette’s fiancé as the laws were old and complicated. Miley and Jeff are both working on the case against the gossip blog.”
I wasn’t able to move for a second.
The doorman rang, and it was my food. I told him to send it up. Then I said, “Another reason to be happy I’m American.”
Kelly asked, “How can you sleep next to him, have his baby, talk about how sex is amazing, laugh with him, clearly enjoy being with him, and not be in love?”
Isabel went to get my food for me as I sat and said, “Because I’m not the girl he needs to marry.”
Kelly asked, “Who is?”
Isabel had grabbed my order and placed it on the table nearby, and I pointed at her. “Honestly, it should be someone like Isabel,” I said.
She laughed and batted her eyes. “Me?”
When she rejoined us, I said, “You’re sweet, kind, and would make a kick-ass duchess who doesn’t swear.”
Isabel shook her head. “Except I don’t love men who don’t love me back.”
“Agreed,” Kelly said.
