Boyfriend for Hire(41)
“Oh, Nic, don’t say those things about yourself. You have so much to offer. Any woman who can’t see past your job is a fool.”
“I just wish I could talk to her. I know it’s stupid, but I think if I could have just been the one to tell her, she would understand. And I wouldn’t feel so goddamn hopeless right now.”
“If that’s true, then you should go.”
I snap my gaze up to Esther, who’s looking at me with a mix of kindness and sadness. “What do you mean?”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s that the people we love matter more than anything else in the world. Put your pride aside. Make her understand how you feel.”
I slowly shake my head, pulling my hand from hers. “Esther, I don’t know—”
But she simply raises her hand to silence me, the next words out of her mouth lighting a fire in me I didn’t even realize had gone out.
“Go fight for your girl. Fight for the future you want. No one’s going to hand it to you, honey. Go get it.”
A lump of emotion lodges itself in my throat. “What about dinner?”
She waves a hand at the menus resting between us. “Truth be told, I’m sick of this place. I just liked the company.”
I chuckle and rise to my feet. “I’ll miss you, Esther.”
“Same here. Now go make me proud.”
The smile she gives me is so warm and familiar and comforting, I feel like maybe, just maybe, there’s still a chance.
Chapter Nineteen
Elle
It’s been a couple of days since I learned what Nic and Christine did, and I still can’t believe it. Everything makes so much sense now; there were so many warning signs that I ignored. Even more than their deceit, I’m upset that they made me look like a fool.
Who was I kidding, walking around town like a lovesick puppy, so excited about what I thought was my new amazing relationship with Nic? But, of course, a guy like him would never go for someone like me unless he was being paid. How could I have been so naive?
After I got home from the farmers’ market, I spent the rest of the weekend lying in bed—watching reality TV, eating every type of junk food known to man, and feeling sorry for myself.
Today, I’m forcing myself to rejoin the world. I take an extra-long shower, put on makeup, and dress in a cute outfit. They say if you look good, you feel good, right? Besides, I’m a firm believer in tough love, and in all honesty, my solo pity party was getting pathetic.
My phone buzzes in my pocket as I leave my apartment, and I pull it out. It’s Nic again. He’s been calling me nonstop, but I haven’t answered. I don’t know what he has to say for himself, and right now I don’t care. Lying to me continuously for weeks isn’t something I can forgive easily, and I’m not ready to just sweep this under the rug.
I try not to think about Nic as I drive to class. It’s the first day of the bar review sessions he enrolled me in, and after three hours of mentally going back and forth, I decided to still attend, especially since I already took the day off work. I’m determined to see this through, and I won’t let Nic take my pride and my chance at becoming a lawyer.
I blast ’90s pop songs as I drive, and by the time I get to class, I’m already feeling better. It’s amazing what a little Britney Spears and some fresh air can do for your mood.
Nervous, I take a seat, feeling like a teenage girl on her first day of high school. I’m finally starting to follow my dreams, and even though I’m excited, it’s still a whole lot intimidating. Luckily, the teacher is a sweet older woman who knows what she’s doing. Somehow, I’m able to get Nic off my mind for a few hours while we discuss the bar exam and go through some study techniques.
As I push the front door open after class, I stop in my tracks. I do a double-take to make sure I’m seeing right. Nic is standing next to my car.
My heart starts to pound, and I think about turning around and going back inside. He hasn’t noticed me yet; I could still get away without talking to him.
Get a grip, Elle, you’re a grown woman.
What am I going to do, hide every time I run into him for the rest of my life? I need to face him sometime.
Despite how much I don’t want to be around Nic, I can’t stop myself from noticing that he looks sinfully sexy. A few days apart almost made me forget about his chiseled jawline and strong cheekbones.
He betrayed you, remember?
I chastise myself, determined not to lose my resolve to be angry with him simply because he can pull off a casual T-shirt and jeans better than just about anyone.
He’s leaning against my passenger side door, his hands in his pockets. As I approach, he looks up and our eyes meet. I hate that those dark brown eyes can still make my stomach flip, even after everything we’ve been through.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, keeping some distance between us. Even though I can’t stop my overactive libido from spiraling out of control around him, I’m still in touch with the sane part of my brain that’s pissed at him for lying to me.
“Sorry to ambush you like this, but you wouldn’t answer my calls.” He’s watching me carefully, but I don’t budge.
“What is there to say?” I ask, throwing out my arms in exasperation. “You lied to me.”