Stranded with a Billionaire (Billionaire Boys Club #1)(80)

“Well,” Gretchen said huffily. “What a douche bag. How dare he spend his billions on you?”

Bront? glared. “You’re not helping.”

“Of course I am,” Gretchen said, matter-of-factly. “I’m making you realize how silly you’re being.”

Bront? continued to glare at Gretchen.

The redhead shrugged. “Look. He’s got so much money he could roll in it. You, meanwhile, count the change in your wallet for a slice of pizza. Is it weird that he wants to shower you with presents and nice things? Maybe he likes buying them for you.”

“He doesn’t like gold diggers, Gretchen. Everyone always uses him for his money. I don’t want to be like everyone else.”

“Then don’t be. Don’t go running off buying a truckful of Birkin bags. Though if you do, remember your bestie, Gretchen, and her sister, Audrey.” When Bront? glared at her again, Gretchen sighed. “Look. It doesn’t sound like the problem is his money. It sounds like the problem is you.”

“What?”

“As in, Logan doesn’t need you. He likes you, he finds you fun, but he doesn’t need you to survive. So you don’t know what to do with yourself. That’s a little unhealthy, don’t you think?”

“That’s not the case at all!”

“No? What did you do when you moved in with him?”

Bront? opened her mouth to protest, then snapped it shut again. “I shopped with Audrey, and then I sat around in his apartment.”

“Gee, exciting. I’m amazed he let you get away the first time,” Gretchen said drily.

“Oh, my God,” Bront? said. “All this time I’ve been thinking I can’t be with him because I can’t be who he wants me to be. What if it’s because I am the problem?”

“Well, you are a waitress,” Gretchen said. “It’s not as if you can continue waitressing if you’re living with a billionaire.”

She was right, Bront? realized. Oh, God. Everything she was saying was right. Bront? was blaming Logan for being . . . Logan. Logan was who he was—a little alpha, take-charge, and always thinking ahead. And she’d been punishing him for being who he was instead of loving him for it.

She’d been the problem all along.

Her stomach gave a sick little lurch. “I don’t know what to do, Gretchen. If I move in with him again, I worry that I’m going to turn into one of those women he hates. Sitting around all day spending money and doing nothing.”

“That won’t happen. You’re smart. You’re constantly spouting ancient wisdom and writing little sayings on customers’ cups. They love that. Do something with that big philosophizing brain of yours instead of serving coffee.”

Bront? stared down at her cappuccino. “I really wanted to do something with my philosophy degree, you know. Show the world just how wise and intelligent they were in classical times. Make others love the ancients just as much as I do.”

“Then maybe you should go back to school. Teach. Or write books about ancient philosophers. I know a great editor or two. Or you could set up charity foundations with all of your boyfriend’s ridiculous money that he wants you to spend.” Gretchen leaned over and clasped Bront?’s hand. “My point is that the money’s not a problem. It’s not an obstacle if you don’t make it one. If he wants to shower you with money, use it and really make something of yourself, Bront?. Be who you want to be, not just a Midwestern waitress with big dreams. Understand? You can always pay him back.”

Strange how a friend telling her to make something of herself came across far more gently than when Logan had. Bront? smiled at Gretchen. “So if you were me, you’d move back in with him?”

“Hell, no,” Gretchen said. “If I were you, I’d have killed him in a week. But you’re wimpy. You’re great with him.”

Bront? stuck her tongue out at Gretchen.

The redhead grinned, and gave Bront?’s hand another squeeze. “If he makes you happy, don’t set up obstacles that don’t have to be there. Love is more important than anything else in the world. Well, almost, but you’ve got the money thing taken care of already. I’d kill to have a man look at me the way Logan looks at you.”

“Cooper looks at you that way, Gretchen,” Bront? said carefully.

The look of chagrin on Gretchen’s face was terrible to see. “I keep hoping he’ll grow out of it,” she said quietly. “I like Cooper, but he’s not the right guy for me. He’s so . . . normal. Bland. I need someone different.” She smiled at Bront?, and her smile was sad. “I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic, you know. Holding out for a hero and all that.”

Bront? nodded and squeezed Gretchen’s hand back. “You’ll find the right guy. I’m sure he’s out there somewhere.”

“He might be, or he might just be fictional. Or broke. Or both.” Gretchen gave her a teasing laugh. “It’d help if he was half as rich as your boyfriend, though.”

***

For the first time in years, Logan felt an emotion that had become foreign to him.

He was nervous.

Tonight was going to be a clusterf*ck. It was one of the brotherhood meetings. They had a strict rule that no additional parties were allowed. No siblings. No buddies. No parents. No business partners. Just the original six. No one had ever thought of breaking the rules, because it would have been unfair to the others in the group.