The Engagement Game (Engaged to a Billionaire) (24 page)

"Rex, I can't.
 
You know I can't.
 
Now, you gotta stop playing games with me.
 
You and I are done."
 
He didn't seem fazed by my comment.
 
Instead he takes a step even closer.

"You don't mean that," he says softly.

"How would you know what I'm thinking?"

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't feel anything.
 
Anything at all."

"That's not fair."
 
Looking into his eyes meant reliving the pleasure and the pain.
 
At one point I even thought I was falling in love with him.
 
I couldn't wash those thoughts away over night.
 
I stay silent.

"So you
do
still have feelings for me," he responds.

"I'm marrying Jack."

"Yes," he answers.
 
"But you're not married
yet
."
 
I narrow my eyes as he grins.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean there's still a chance I can make things right between us."

"Make things right between you and the mother of your baby," I add.
 
Rex nods, looking down at his shiny loafers.

"Okay," he agrees.
 
"If that's what'll make you happy.
 
I'll do that."

"Good."
 
I glance around reception.
 
"That's the right thing to do."

"And just so you know I'm not some kind of barbarian.
 
Of course, I was going to resolve things."

"I didn't mean-"

"I'm not the bad guy I think you make me out to be," he continues.
 
"And I'll prove that to you."
 
I still wasn't sure where he was going with all this.
 
As long as he didn't keep showing up and forcing me to choose.

"You'll prove that to me?" I repeat.
 
Whatever
.

"Yes," he grins.
 
"You wait and see.
 
I'm going to win you back."
 
A part of me feels like it might faint.
 
My thoughts buzz uncontrollably.
 
How was I supposed to interpret that?

"Rex," I sigh.

"Kat, you're
engaged
.
 
You're not married."

"Your mother is really pressuring you now," I joke.
 
Rex looks amused.

"This has nothing to do with her wishes.
 
This is what
I
want."
 
His feet move and I assume that's his closing line.
 
But at a quick pace he suddenly takes a giant step forward, wrapping his hand around my neck and kissing me one last time.
 
His touch brings back the fire we once had.
 
My heart races when he pulls away smiling.

I'm left wondering why I hadn't stepped back - immediately pulled away when I knew what he was about to do.
 
It all happened too fast, and now I was starting to doubt my decision.
 
But maybe that's what Rex wanted?
 
No Jack is the one, you idiot!

My thoughts were on a different page than my body.
 
I was still drawn to Rex and the way he commanded a room.
 
He gained the praise of everyone he met whether or not he spoke to them.
 
I
had
to get my head on straight.
 
No wavering.
 
I couldn't do to Jack what Rex had once done to me.
 
Scumbag.

Why the hell was I
still
attracted to him?

Chapter Nineteen

6 Weeks Later . . .

The sun is shining and the leaves around the cafe slowly drift in the breeze before falling to the moist ground.
 
The deep orange of the tree next to me reminds me of Halloween.
 
It wasn't far away and the nurses at work usually wore goofy headbands or painted their faces for the occasion.
 
Last year I wore a witch hat.
 
A few patients got a kick out of that.

Holly had texted me early in the morning.
 
I assumed she couldn't sleep and I too was having some trouble sleeping these days.
 
Jack was keeping himself busy with renovations, and I'd pouring my heart into work hoping to finally step up into an open management position.
 
Things between Jack and were good, but since Earl's passing we'd both been searching for things that keep us busy.
 
Planning a wedding took up a lot of time.
 
More time than I thought it would.

I take a sip of my warm tea, watching passing strangers.
 
The open seat in front of me would soon be occupied by a woman I hadn't talked to in months.
 
It felt like years.
 
My last words to Holly weren't friendly ones and the haunted my thoughts once in awhile.
 
Holly was a tabloid regular now.
 
That's how I knew what was going on with her.
 
I read the paper.

I stare at another leaf as it gently fall from a branch.
 
The swirling yellow is enough to take my mind away from reality for a brief moment.
 
I discreetly glance around, hoping Holly and I wouldn't be joined by a crowd of photographers.
 
I hear heels clanking along the sidewalk.

Holly is wearing sunglasses.
 
Her dress blows in the breeze as she looks around and spots me.
 
Her hair hangs in perfect curls and her figure is slender.
 
No hint of a baby belly.
 
She covers her face a little and carefully sits down.
 
My heart quickens.
 
I feel nervous.
 
Was this meeting meant to be positive or negative?
 
I didn't know.

"Hi," I say first.

"Hi."
 
Holly slowly removes her sunglasses, revealing reddened puffy eyes.
 
My heart drops.
 
Something inside me already knew why I was here.

"So . . . how have you been?"

"Okay," she mutters.
 
I glance at the diamonds sparkling on her ears.

"Nice earrings.
 
They new?"

She places a hand on her ear and nods.
 
I take another sip of my tea, wondering how long it would take her to get to the point.

"Kat I-"

"I know," I say for her.
 
"I sort of had a feeling."
 
I hear her swallow as she fights tears.

"I mean what with the stress of everything," she sniffles.
 
She rubs her forehead.
 
"I can't believe I lost it."
 
A tear drops down her rosy cheek.

"Holly," I respond.
 
"I'm so sorry."
 
The news was official and I felt incredibly guilty for what I'd said at my parent's house.
 
Holly had lost her baby, and I couldn't help but wonder if our fall out was partially to blame.
 
"Those things I said."

"It's okay," she says in a quiet voice.
 
"You were upset.
 
Kat, I miss you."
 
I smile.

"I miss you too."

"I don't expect you to ever fully forgive me for what happened but-"

"How could you have known I'd met Rex that same night," I finished.
 
"I shouldn't have blamed you the way I did."
 
She nods.
 
"Is that a new dress?"

"Of course," she laughs.

"Now the
real
culprit here," I say through my teeth.

"Rex is a guy, Kat."
 
Holly adjust the glittering bangles on her wrist.
 
"But we've moved past all this."
 
More secrets?

"So you two are . . . together?"

"Oh no," she says, waving her hands.
 
"We figured out a long time ago that the two of us could never get along."

"But you guys are on speaking terms?"

"Before the sad news," she replies quietly.
 
"We agreed on a settlement.
 
It was more than enough more to take care of me and the baby for . . . well the rest of my life."
 
She breathes out a sigh of relief.
 
"And even after I told him about the baby, he insisted I keep the money."

"Wow."
 
My eyes go wide.
 
In a way Holly had gotten what she wanted.
 
Without
a man attached.
 
"Holly . . . oh my gosh!"

"I know," she giggles.

"That explains the new Dolce."

"It's bittersweet," she answers.
 
"That's the only way I can really describe it."
 
I start to warm up to our friendship again.
 
Maybe we
could
move on and be the same friends we once were?

"So you really are okay?"

"Yeah," she sighs again.
 
"I'm not going to lie though.
 
There are times when I feel depressed.
 
You know, my demons get to me.
 
I was going to quit at work but I decided it would best if I stayed.
 
Being around people helps."

"And the paparazzi?"

"Still dig through my trash."
 
She rolls her eyes.
 
"But hopefully that all will die down when I move."
 
I let my cup of tea warm my hands.

"You're moving too?"

"To that cute little neighborhood we used to drive around," she excitedly finishes.

"That's great."
 
I nod and smile.
 
Things were already falling back to normal.
 
Holly was still all about Holly.

"Yeah."
 
She looks around at passing strangers.
 
Her eyes fall to the ring on my finger.
 
She looks a little surprised by the size of it.
 
"You're engaged?"

"Yes."

"Really," she gasps.
 
"To whom?"
 
She curiously tilts her head.

"Jack."

"That guy from the hospital you told me about?"
 
Her eyes get wider.
 
Please don't bring up the list.
 
Red flags.
 
Ripped jeans.

"Yeah," I hesitate to answer.

"That's-"
 
She stops herself from blurting out her first thought.
 
"That's wonderful."
 
I'm shocked by her response.
 
Obviously she was thinking something different, but it was nice of her to be happy for me.
 
Even if the guy I was engaged to was, to
her
knowledge, an unemployed frat boy.

"Thank you," I say, accepting her congrats.
 
"He's actually not the guy I thought he was."
 
Thinking about Jack made me smile.

"And that's a good thing, right?"

"A very good thing," I respond.
 
She'd freak if I told her he was a secret billionaire.
 
If
I decided to tell her.
 
Maybe I'd see what her real thoughts were first.
 
Come on, Kat.
 
No more games.

"I'm happy for you."
 
She smiles - her teeth a perfect white like Rex's.

"I do have one question though."
 
I change my expression to that of the crabby librarian at our old high school.
 
She would shush us to making the floor creak.

"What?"
 
Holly looks a little apprehensive.
 
She fiddles with the bracelets on her thin wrist.

"Will you be a bridesmaid?"

Her face lights up and I can tell this was a welcome distraction she'd been searching for.
 
Was asking
her
a good idea?
 
I wasn't sure.
 
Because now I would be getting seating arrangements and table cloth patterns via text every night.
 
Her enthusiasm however, was just what I needed right now.
 
I needed someone to gasp (maybe even cry) when I walked out the dressing room in my to-be wedding dress.
 
I needed someone to help me pick out flowers, sample cakes, and persuade my mom to let someone else do the catering.

"Hell yeah I will!"
 
She leans over the table to give me a quick hug.
 
I move my hot tea just in time.

"Great," I reply.
 
"Because I still have a lot of planning to do."

"I'll get right on it."
 
She stands with liveliness in her step.

"I didn't mean right-"
 
She grabs my hand.
 
"Okay?"

"How much have you had to eat today?"

"Uh."
 
I raise my eyebrows.
 
"A piece of toast?"

"Perfect," she responds, pulling me down the street.
 
"There's a bridal shop around the corner.
 
We're trying on dresses."

I lowly laugh to myself.
 
An impromptu dress fitting.
 
So Holly.
 
As I speed walk to keep up with her, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

"Geez," I tease her.
 
"I always forget that you move faster in stilettos than regular shoes."
 
Holly laughs.
 
I pull my phone out my pocket and squint at a text message from Rex.

I told you I'd make things right.

Thank you,
I reply.
 
Then I quickly open up a new message and add on -
but I'm still marrying Jack.
 
Rex responds immediately as if knowing I'd say that.

Then let the games begin.

An excerpt from book two,
The Engagement Duel
.

Chapter One - Leah

Needle-like pain pulses in and out of my brain as I struggle to breathe.
 
Two sweaty hands are pressed against my neck.
 
My throat tightens, as does the rest of my body.
 
My spine feels as if it's locked in place.
 
I'd only experienced this feeling of intense terror once before and it happened to be two weeks ago.
 
My big sister's psycho stalker dragged me out of bed by my hair.
 
It was the only time in my life I wished I didn't look like Kat, but we had the same wavy, caramel hair and olive skin.

My shoulders are pinned against a brick wall and my hands scratch at the arms of my attacker.
 
My thoughts go fuzzy, unable to settle down.
 
I wasn't a stranger to this feeling - dreading a permanent trip to the
other side.
 
It was like the horror movies Jenna and I watched weeks ago.
 
I was the slutty cheerleader about to get her throat ripped out.
 
The only non-virgin character left.
 
Only I
wasn't
in a podunk town in the midwest, my attacker hardly spoke english, and I probably deserved this.