Page 82 of The Elusive Billionaire
My jaw flops open like a dead fish, and the asshole takes the opportunity to shove the piece of toast into my mouth. He leaves it hanging when I don’t immediately chomp down on it, and I sit there, with avocado dripping down my chin and tiny pieces of watermelon landing on my chest, while he saunters out of my bedroom.
Our. Our bedroom. Our temporary bedroom. Who knew fake engagements came with so many…entanglements.
The unease of guilt and debauchery cause a riotously blinding headache behind my left eye. I know I didn’t give him details of how I’ve punished myself because I’ve never told another soul, not even my therapist. But I have no idea what I did to cause this reaction from him, and I need to figure it out quickly so I can prepare my counterattack.
Grey and I will always be in a battle of wills…but in the war of me, I’m the only one who can play.
I stare at the door he just vacated, then down at the plate he left me.
How did he even know what my favorites were?
“Clover,” I mutter. She has a heart of gold, the courage of a scaredy-cat, and the mouth of Hagrid—she can’t keep a secret to save her life—except for her own.
I shouldn’t eat the damn toast just to spite him, but the truth is, I’m hungry and slightly hungover, and it’s exactly what I need, so I scarf it down as though it’s my last meal while thinking about anything but food, then go in search of my mouthy friend.
“What time was he down here?”I demand. Clover and Madi sit at the kitchen island, proud as peacocks, and my dread intensifies.
“I came down at six, and he was on his computer at the kitchen table, but slammed his laptop shut the moment I entered the room,” Madi says.
“I must have come in shortly after you.” Clover reaches for another pump of hand sanitizer, and I reflexively grab the moisturizer Madi keeps above the small desk in the corner, then place it in front of her.
The girl uses so much alcohol-based sanitizer, her skin is constantly cracking.
“Why were you both up so early? What the hell time did we go to bed?”
My best friends look at each other and then at me.
“What?” I ask.
“When Grey made Brax and Sage drag us out of your room, it was…early. I was in bed stuffing pizza into my face by seven thirty,” Madi chuckles. “Maybe we’re getting old.”
I don’t remember any of that.
“How did he know my favorite breakfast foods?”
“He kind of seems to…you know.” Clover’s evading the question…guilty as freaking sin.
“No, I don’t know.”
“He knows everything about you, Sav.” Madi hops down from the stool she’s sitting on, and her hand flies to her stomach. “Holy crap. This little potato is like a professional soccer player.”
She’s about five months along, so I’m not surprised, but I am caught off guard by the tiny sliver of jealousy that lands in my chest. Grey is messing with all the safeguards I put in place for my carefully crafted future.
“Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. Can I feel?” Clover jumps down and holds her hands out in front of her.
Madi laughs. “You can try—it’s probably too early for you to feel anything though.”
Human emotions are a funny thing. Experiencing ecstatic joy for someone else while feeling a little broken and sad for yourself at the same time should be illegal.
“That’s wonderful, Madi. Really.”
My friend looks at me, really looks, and I hate that flicker of sadness flashing in her eyes as she regards me.
My mask has slipped. It’s time to rebuild my fortress.
She nods as though she understands exactly what’s happening with my heart right now.
“Now, as for Grey,” she says. “He pays attention to details. He sees things most people don’t, so it didn’t surprise me at all that he already knew your favorite foods. But we did give him your recipe for watermelon salsa.”
