Page 34 of Don't Fall in Love

On the way back to the apartment, I came to the realization that there is no other plan and I’m not walking away. I’ll do, or pay, whatever it takes to get her to do this.

With no plan, I put my empty tumbler in the sink and walk to her bedroom. She’s throwing her stuff into the case haphazardly but freezes when I knock on the door jamb.

“I’ll start with the explanation, and then we can negotiate.”

“Negotiate? What exactly are we negotiating, Sebastian?”

“You know, I preferred it when you called me Bastian. It’s a new one, but I liked it.”

She cocks a brow at me, and when I don’t say anything, turns back to stuffing things in her suitcase.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I should have clued you into my plan.”

“You shouldn’t have had the goddamn plan in the first place.” She’s starting to lose her cool, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on.

Focusing back on what she’s just said, I hang my head because she’s right, I should have found a better plan, like maybe hiring someone to buy it under a shell company.

But it has to be me that does this. My plan doesn’t work unless I can throw it back in his face at the end.

“I don’t know what else I can say aside from I’m sorry.”

She folds her arms over her chest and cocks her hip. “Really? You can’t think of a single thing you should say or do?”

When I don’t answer she continues, “Because I think something along the lines of ‘you’re right, Alex, I shouldn’t have lied to George that you’re my fiancée. I’ll come clean to him and back out of the purchase.’ I think that might be a fantastic place to start.”

I scrub a hand over the back of my neck. Doing that isn’t an option. If I do, then he won’t pay for his sins. “I can’t do that, Alex.”

“If you can’t, then perhaps I should. Maybe I should call him right now and tell him everything that you’ve lied to him about.”

She moves to her phone resting on the bedside table. My stride is longer and I make it to her before she can pick it up, my arm banding around her waist as I lift her up, and place myself between her and her phone before putting her down. She lets out a squeal of surprise, spinning to face me when I let go. Her eyes are murderous.

“How dare you!”

“I’m sorry.”

“You sure are doing a lot of apologizing. Did you ever think that maybe you shouldn’t be such an ass and then you wouldn’t have to?” Her eyes widen as she looks at me for an answer.

I fight the smirk that’s trying to spread into a full on grin. I’m a smart enough man to know that would send her over the edge.

“Look.” I squeeze the bridge of my nose, the beginnings of a headache forming. “Whatever you need, I will do or pay. Money is no object.”

She turns away. Picking up a t-shirt, she folds it and puts it in her suitcase. I’m left wondering if she’s going to say anything as she packs up her luggage.

A sigh slips from her lips and she carries on folding her things, refusing to make eye contact with me, even when she speaks. “I have my student debt.” She shifts uncomfortably, her hands fiddling with one item.

“I’ll pay it off. How much?”

“It’s a lot.”

“How much, Alex?”

“If you pay it, I’ll pretend to be your fiancée for as long as you need, andifI can get time away from work, I’ll come with you to Lake Geneva.”

I move to stand in front of her, lifting her chin and forcing her to look at me. “How. Much?”

“One hundred and fifty thousand,” she breathes.

“Consider it done.”

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