Page 36 of Certified Heartthrob

“Romantic for who?”

“For me.” She shrugged. “To think that when I left you, you decided to swear off love altogether. Like I was the only woman in the world for you, and if you couldn’t have me...you didn’t want anyone else.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re delusional. That’s not what it was at all. You proved to me that love is a lie. To think you could say and do some of the things you did...to act like you were so in love when you were cheating on me the whole time. I realized it was all a big sham. Or...so I thought.”

She raised a brow. “Something changed your mind?”

I nodded. “Someone.”

“Oh, please.” Audrey scrunched up her nose. “You don’t really believe this Meadows girl has any feelings for you. Mark, she was obviously just trying to con you to help her business. Everyone can see it. That’s all anyone is talking about.”

“You don’t know her,” I growled.

“I know people like her. People like her brother, who arranged a whole fake marriage just to save his reputation! What she’s doing with you is no different. I just can’t believe you’d actually fall for it.”

“You can believe what you want.” I sighed. “But at the end of the day, it’s none of your business. You left me. I wish I could say I’m sorry that your affair didn’t work out...which is a real shocker, by the way. I don’t know why they don’t put that all over the headlines instead! Breaking news! Guy who steals away someone else’s girlfriend ends up cheating on her, too!”

“Oh, so you’re the perfect one with all the answers, and no one else is allowed to make a tiny mistake?” She laughed bitterly, taking a sip of her red wine.

“I’d say what you did was more than just a tiny mistake.”

“And I’d say using you to put a happy face on a fucked-up family and a fucked-up company is more than just a tiny mistake, too!” she snapped back.

We were both quiet for a moment, brooding in our anger. But Audrey finally softened and tried to approach me. “I hate fighting with you, baby. I didn’t want it to be like this when I showed up here. I just wanted to talk to you.”

“If you came to warn me about Camille, which you know absolutely nothing about, then I don’t want to hear it.” I walked to the other side of the room, putting a safe distance between us.

“No, actually.” She stalked towards me, flashing a coy smile. “I came to tell you...I love you. I never stopped loving you. I miss how things used to be. I made a huge mistake. You know how sometimes it seems like the grass is greener on the other side…”

“I don’t know that, but I’m sure you do. I knew what I had when I had it, and you ruined it.”

“I know you did, baby,” she murmured, stepping closer. “Which is why I’m here. No one has ever loved me the way you do. I was too blind to see it then, but I see it now. I want you back, Mark.”

“Unbelievable.” I smirked. “Of course, now that I’m ready to move on, you show up here like this.”

“Maybe just in time,” she suggested, “to save you from making a huge mistake of your own. She doesn’t love you, Mark. She’s using you. And since I do care about you, I’m not going to let that happen without saying something.”

I could see the look in her eyes...the one that was trying to appeal to the weakness inside of me. I had loved her so much for so long, it was almost hard to resist her. I had always dreamed of this happening. But the longer I stared at her, the more certain I was that I cared for Camille more than I ever had for Audrey.

“It’s too late,” I said softly. “It breaks my heart to say that, but...actually, no. You know what? It doesn’t break my heart to say that. For the first time in a long time, I can finally say I don’t feel broken at all. I feel indifferent towards you. Sure, there are old parts of me that miss how it was before I realized what a cheating liar you are. But the sane parts of me know better now.”

Her eyes darkened, but she didn’t move away. In fact, she moved in even closer and lifted a finger to the top button of my shirt. “I think you’re just stuck in the past. And if I had a chance...I’m sure I could remind you of how you used to feel. The rest of it we could figure out as we went along.”

Her voice slipped into a seductive tone as her finger ran down the front of my shirt, inching dangerously close to my belt.

“Audrey, no. I said it was too late.”

“Come on, baby. If you would just…”

“Just nothing!” I snapped, lifting my free hand to push her away.

As I tried to move past her, she held her ground, sending us crashing into each other. Her glass of red wine splashed all over me, and mine splashed all over her. We both stood there with our mouths gaping, staring down at the red stains spreading on each other’s clothes.

I groaned. “God dammit.”

Audrey burst into laughter. “Oh no.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little, too, and soon it was infectious. We were both cracking up, because maybe that was what we needed to get us through this disastrously awkward moment. After a few moments, our laughter faded. Audrey searched my eyes for any sign that I was caving in to her, and when she couldn’t find any...she had something else to propose.

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