Page 121 of How to Fall for the Secret Billionaire
She doesn’t even know who I am yet because I’m hiding the very core of my identity from her. It takes a great deal of willpower to think past my guilt and focus on the date, and an even greater strength to not worry that after tonight, this bubble will burst and I may lose her forever.
MARGOT
It’s the best dinner I’ve ever had.
Not because of the food—though the main course and dessert was unreal—but because of him. Cal was sweet. Attentive. Funny. Thoughtful in the quiet, intentional way that makes me feel like I’m the only person in the room.
He felt like a whole new person tonight. Or maybe he’s been this person all along, and I’m only now letting myself see it.
We talk through dinner like we’ve known each other forever. Easy, unforced, real. He makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. He listens like every word I say matters.
Now I’m laughing again—he just made a dry comment about the dessert being good enough to propose over—and something about the way he’s watching me makes my heart beat faster.
It’s the way his eyes linger. Like I’m not just pretty. Like I’m his favorite view in the whole world.
And for the first time in a very, very long time, I feel truly wanted. Desired.
Not for what I can do. Not for how well I can hold everything together.
Just for being me.
I think… I’m happy. Really, genuinely happy. And that scares me more than a little.
Cal leans in slightly, his voice low and steady. “Margot… I really like you. A lot. And I don’t want to keep pretending I don’t. I’d love for us to be in a real relationship. Officially.”
My heart skips. The warmth in his eyes, the way he says it—it feels like something sacred. Something I’ve waited a long time to hear. But there’s also the stark reality of this moment, reminding me that it’s never going to be easy. Soon, Cal will return to the city, and I’ll be back here in town, wondering what he’s doing and when we’ll see each other again.
Would we survive it?
Can we do it?
But as I look at him, at his earnest expression, I already know. Despite my valid worries about our situation, one thing is clear: I want to make this work, and I want to trust my ability to put in my best.
So I smile at Cal, but I don’t rush. “I’d love that too,” I say honestly. “But I still want to know you better. Really know you.”
He nods, no hesitation. “You will,” he says simply, like it’s a promise.
Then he takes my hand, turns it gently in his, and presses a kiss to my knuckles.
Something in me melts.
I don’t doubt Cal’s affection for a second. It’s in his eyes—so open, so sure. Like he’s been waiting for me to catch up, and now that I have, he’s not letting go.
My fingers are still wrapped in his, the warmth of his lips lingering on my skin, and all I can think about is how much I want to hold on to this moment. Bottle it. Frame it. Tell the whole world about it.
I can’t wait to tell my sisters, my parents. Aunt Edie. Mia.
Oh, Mia. She’s going to scream when she hears this.
But right now, I just sit there, smiling at him like a fool, heart racing in the best way. Because somehow, in the quiet clink of silverware and candlelight, this doesn’t feel like the end of a date.
It feels like the start of something beautiful.
He glances at me as he leans back a soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Ready to go?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
He flags down an attendant and pulls out his wallet, handling the bill with quiet ease. I can feel his hand graze mine again as we leave, and my heart skips like it’s still our first hour together.
