Cruel Fortune (Cruel #2)(73)

“I don’t have an appointment.”

“Oh, sorry, you need to schedule all appointments in advance.”

“We’re old friends. Penn Kensington,” I said, easily dropping my name.

Her eyes widened. Yep, she knew who I was. Sometimes, I hated this world.

“Oh, Mr. Kensington. Let me see if he’s free.”

“Don’t worry about it”—I checked her nameplate—“Brandi. I’m here to surprise him.” I winked at her.

She laughed, her face flushing at my attention. She leaned on her elbow and gazed up at me. “Okay, go on. Be quick. He has a conference call soon.”

“Will do. Thanks so much, Brandi. I’ll let you get back to work.”

“Of course.” She waved at me and then went back to her headset.

I bypassed my first obstacle with a smile and mindless flirting and reached for Lewis’s office door. His face was priceless when I stepped inside. Shock, then anger, and then empty nothingness. That blank mask we’d all developed young.

“Penn,” Lewis said. “This is unexpected.”

“I’d say it’s long overdue,” I said.

I strode confidently across his massive office and sank casually into the chair in front of his desk. I kicked my feet up, planting them on the top of his desk. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. It was delicious.

“If you’re here about Natalie, I really don’t have anything to say to you.”

“We’ve known each other a long time.”

Lewis shrugged. “So?”

“So, I think we can cut the bullshit,” I said evenly, even pleasantly.

“There’s no bullshit between us.”

Lewis shot me a smug look as he leaned back in his chair. Looked about as happy to be in this position as his piece-of-shit father. Mine had been an alcoholic and a whoring idiot. But Lewis’s dad had just beaten him down with expectations. Nothing was good enough. No one was good enough for him.

“That, I do disagree with.”

“Disagree all you like outside of my office. I’m busy. Don’t you have to teach or something?”

“I don’t teach on Wednesdays. And, anyway, this felt more pertinent.”

“You know, we have known each other a long time. So, I already know what you’re going to say. And you can leave your self-righteous bullshit at the door. Your morality and happiness and philosophy shit. I don’t need or want to hear it.”

“Then, we’re on the same page. Since we both know that you have no qualms with ambiguous morals,” I said evenly.

Lewis narrowed his eyes in distaste.

“After all, you’re only after Natalie because I had her first.”

He laughed. “So, that’s what you think?”

“You’ve been doing this shit since we were kids. I think I can recognize it when I see it. You always want what I have. And now, you think you’ve won.”

“I have,” he drawled with satisfaction.

“Except that she came to me last night,” I reminded him. I set my feet down and leaned forward toward his desk. “What happens next time you show your hand?”

“There is no hand,” Lewis ground out.

“Please,” I said with a laugh, “you’re talking to me. It’s always a game with you.”

“Not with Natalie.”

“Sure thing.” My tone dripped sarcasm. “And you didn’t orchestrate her book to end up with Warren. And you didn’t post her picture on Crew so that I would see it, and you didn’t bring her places to show her off. You didn’t purposely kiss her in front of me at Harmony’s. Same old games, Lewis. I know how you play them.”

Lewis shook his head at me. Then he pulled open a drawer in his desk and removed a box from the top. He set it onto the desk between us. I stared at it. Shock rippled through me. My eyes were wide in alarm. My cool gone.

“Is that what I think it is?” I asked.

“I told you that it wasn’t a game.”

He left the box sitting between us. I couldn’t bring myself to open it. A diamond that would fucking ruin everything.

There was ringing in my ears. My hands balled into fists. This could not be happening. It didn’t even make any fucking sense.

“Are you crazy?” I blurted.

He arched an eyebrow. “Not in the slightest.”

“She is never going to say yes to that.” I threw my hand at the offending box. “It’s been a month.”

“I’m prepared to wait to ask her when she’s ready, Penn. I already am.”

“You’ve lost it.”

I couldn’t even fathom how this had all taken such a turn. Lewis could not propose to Natalie. Not in any world. This was a game. This was a piece I hadn’t seen coming. A rogue piece that was smashing across the board that I’d thought I was navigating with ease.

“Maybe you’ll stop bothering us now. You know it’s serious. You know I intend to be with her forever. Walk away,” Lewis said, dark and menacing.

There was no getting through to him. No way for him to see how utterly crazy it was to purchase a ring for someone after only a month of dating. After they’d just had a blowup argument the night before.