Page 91 of The Texan's Secrets

Misha looked horrified. “Oh, no.”

Emilia was more confused than ever. “Why wouldn’t yousaysomething?” She withdrew her hand from Misha’s.

“We thought you would go on a date or two, nothing more.”

“It was more,” Emilia said with a hollow laugh. “It was a whole lot more.”

It was obvious now why Nick had walked away. It had been a game to him. His part in the relationship had been a sham all along.

That’s why he’d apologized. He sounded like he genuinely regretted the ruse. But he’d also made it clear he wasn’t feeling what Emilia felt.

He wasn’t falling in love with her. But she was falling in love with him. She had fallen in love with him.

She fought back a sob of pain.

“You have to talk to him,” Misha said anxiously. She looked around. “Where did he go?”

Emilia couldn’t imagine saying anything to Nick right now. She couldn’t imagine saying anything to him ever again.

She wanted to go home. She wanted to leave just as soon as she could possibly get away. As soon as they cut the cake and had the first dance, she was out of here.

She was going back to her place. She didn’t care if construction went on downstairs twenty-four seven. She was going to bury her head under her pillow and hide there for days or weeks, however long it took to nurse her broken heart.

“We need to find him.” Misha tried to tug Emilia into a walk.

Emilia dug in her heels. “I have nothing to say to him.”

Misha let go of Emilia’s arm. “There’s something he needs to say to you.”

“He already apologized.”

“Something more.”

Emilia shook her head. “There is nothing more. It was a ruse.”

“It was data gathering.”

“Fine. Whatever. It got out of hand on my side.”

“I don’t think you know how Nico—”

Emilia glared at Misha. She was annoyed more than angry with her friend. After all, Emilia was the one who’d manipulated the Surprise Me! function to put her and Nick together in the first place. Misha hadn’t purposely orchestrated the match. And it sure wasn’t Misha’s fault that Emilia had tumbled into bed with Nick and lost her heart.

“Please just listen to him,” Misha said imploringly. “There’s something important he thinks you already know.”

“What is it?”

If it was that important, Misha could just spit it out and be done with it.

But Misha shook her head. “It’s not my story to tell. It might not change anything. It might make things worse. But it’s the truth.”

“Thetruth?Nowwe’re talking about the truth?” Emilia might not be completely innocent in the whole debacle, but at least she’d come clean about her hacking.

Nick or Nico hadn’t said a word about his own duplicity.

“If I find him, will you listen?” Misha asked.

“No.” Emilia didn’t think she could face Nick again. Her emotions were too raw, and she was too close to tears. She might humiliate herself even further.

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