Page 93 of Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
STILL A GOOD LIAR
Scarlett
What was happening?
My head was spinning, and my belly was nauseous—beforeI’d had any hospital coffee. I’d been catapulted from the unreal experience of having Bryce try to win me back to the even more unreal experience of being “engaged” to Gray.
All within the past ten minutes.
“Gray? Want to go downstairs and get a cup of coffee with me?” I wheezed.
He looked down at his hands, apparently just now realizing he’d left our cups in the hallway, then back up at my urgent expression.
“Sure. Yeah.” Turning to Vivi, he said, “Victoria, we’ll be back in a little while.”
She smiled and waved, picking up her phone. “Good. That’ll give me a chance to call Meghan. She’s the best wedding planner in Eastport Bay. She’ll help us set everything up.”
Nodding noncommittally, I rushed out of Vivi’s hospital room with Gray close behind me.
Once in the hallway, he went to the tall counter at the nurses’ station. “Hey—someone took our coffee cups. I guess we actuallywillhave to buy some more.”
“I don’t care about coffee,” I practically yelled, then realizing I was in a hospital ward, lowered my voice. “How can you think about coffee at a time like this?”
“A time like what? Are you okay?” he asked.
“Well, let’s see, I’m not sure. Was it just my imagination, or did we just agree to participate in a large society wedding at Vivi’s house—as the bride and groom?”
“No, that did happen,” he confirmed.
“Andwhyexactly did we do that?” I asked, feeling a bud of panic preparing to bloom in my chest.
“You saw her,” Gray said. “She basically had an instantaneous recovery when she thought we were engaged. The anticipation of a wedding will be amazing motivation for her to get well and do her physical therapy. On the other hand, if we tell her the truth… who knows what’ll happen?”
I turned to look at him with bugged out eyes. “If wedon’ttell her, thenwhat happens? We let her spend time and potentially a lot of money planning a wedding that’s never going to take place?”
We certainly weren’t going to carry it as far as getting married to make Vivi happy. For one thing, that was just crazy pants. For another, I wasnotinterested in being a bride again.
Seeing Bryce had reminded me of what happens when you trust someone to be there for you for a lifetime.
I had no intention of putting myself in that precarious position ever again.
“We have to explain it to her, Gray. The longer we let it go, the worse it’ll get.”
He nodded, looking like he was mulling it over. “You’re right. But I think we should wait at least until she’s out of the danger zone and home from the hospital. You agree?”
I blew out a short breath. “I don’t know. I guess so. She’s already calling a wedding planner, though.”
“Relax. It’s a few days. How much damage can she possibly do in such a short time?”
* * *
Three days later
“This is like a runaway train,” I said to Gray, following him as he carried yet another bunch of delivery boxes from the front door to the ballroom. “Whatisall this stuff?’
Gray had delayed his work trip and taken a few days off so he’d be able to visit Vivi frequently and to help me “house-sit” while she was in the hospital.
