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MEETING KIERA
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HER BULLY'S REGRET SHOW ME AROUND
I’m not quite ready to face Nathan, so I keep my attention on Kiera. “How long have you liked dinosaurs?”“Since last month,” a woman’s voice says.I turn to see a woman with the same soft face and freckles as Kiera. Only she’s got gorgeous red hair, and no hot chocolate on her designer clothes.It only takes me a second to recognize her from the social media images I saw. This is Nathan’s ex-wife.“Nathan spoils her,” she says with exasperated fondness. “I’m Bridget.”“Nicole,” I say.“I’m going to be a paleon-tho-lol-ogist,” Kiera contributes.“Paleontologist,” Bridget corrects. She looks me up and down. “Kiera, go get your coat and say goodbye to your dad.”Kiera hands me one of her stuffed dinosaurs and runs off, presumably in the direction of Cole’s office.Bridget waits until Kiera’s footsteps have disappeared into the vast apartment. “So. You’re the woman who agreed to fake an engagement with Nathan.”I blink. “He told you?”“Of course he did. You’ll be spending time with our d
HER BULLY'S REGRET SHE CAN'T BE YOUR FIANCEE
It all looks incredibly soothing.“You said there was a mini fridge?” I tease.He opens something I thought was a dark wood cabinet to reveal a discreet mini fridge. Then he opens another cabinet door to reveal a flat screen TV I can watch from my bed.I kick off my shoes and flop back on my bed. It might be the softest thing I’ve ever felt.“I may never leave this room,” I say.“Unfortunately, you’re going to have to,” Nathan says. “It’s time for you to earn your keep.”“What do you mean?” I sit up, having visions of Nathan sending me to wash a mound of dishes, or whatever else Cinderella had to do when she moved in with the prince.“We have dinner with my dad in about...” He checks his watch, “forty-five minutes.”“What?” I yelp.I knew something like this was coming. But I didn’t expect it to come so fast. “Shouldn’t we warm up with an easier audience?” I say. “Maybe dinner with a neighbor you don’t care about?”Nathan ignores my nerves. “I didn’t know what you packed, so I had my
HER BULLY'S REGRET HE WON'T MAKE A GOOD HUSBAND
“I know, right?” Nicole gushes, purposely misinterpreting my dad’s words. “How often do you get a second chance with the love of your life?”Something like pain flashes across his face, and he instinctively touches the place where his own wedding ring used to be. Like he thinks he has the right to regret how his marriage ended.I refuse to feel sorry for him. He chose gambling over us.And yes, I know addiction is a sickness. I know it’s not black and white. I know sometimes addicts need to hit rock bottom before they can find the strength to get help and change their behavior.But the truth is, the threat of losing his wife and son wasn’t even my dad’s rock bottom. No, his rock bottom was all but driving the company into the ground. That’s the thing that made him change.I think of that old cliche about people telling the truth when they’re drunk. For my dad, he showed the truth about what mattered most to him every time he sat down to gamble. And in the end, it wasn’t me or my mom.
HER BULLY'S REGRET CAROUSEL
My dad flinches.“So now imagine what it’s like to meet him, in passing at a coffee shop, and have him turn your whole world upside down.” Nicole looks at me, her smile conspiratorial. I feel heat lick through my entire body at that smile.“Imagine,” she says softly. “You think that’s the end. But then it turns out he’s at your new job. And it’s like no time has passed at all.”I’d laugh if she wasn’t so damn convincing. If there wasn’t a part of me that wants to believe the lie she’s spinning.“Didn’t you try to spray him in the face with hairspray?” my dad points out.“It was a rough breakup,” I admit. “I get why she was mad. But when I saw her, I knew I needed her back on my side.” My voice gets lower, softer. More honest. “It couldn’t be anyone else but her.”If possible, her smile widens.“You really are doing this,” my dad says, sounding disgusted. But also, finally convinced.On impulse, I kiss Nicole. It’s a quick brush of lips, my hand cradling her face. I can tell myself it’
HER BULLY'S REGRET IMAGINE MY SURPRISE
Instead, I say, “Nicole, if there’s anything at all you want while you’re here. Anything you need...”“Could you pick up some cookie dough when you’re at the grocery store?” she asks. “Oh, and grapefruit.”I shoot her a glance over my shoulder, trying to tell if she’s messing with me. Does she really think I do my own grocery shopping?And is that really all she wants?“They’re normally my treat foods,” she explains. “Raw cookie dough for dessert. Grapefruit for breakfast. But I guess if I’m living with all this...” she gestures at the casual extravagance that fills my apartment. “I don’t need to ration my treats. I could have grapefruit for breakfast every morning.”She says it like it’s an unimaginable extravagance.And my heart aches a little.She could have demanded more from our original deal. She could be seducing me now, trying to make my wealth hers on a more permanent basis. Hell, she could have asked for something big just now. Something expensive and unforgettable.Iwantto
HER BULLY'S REGRET LONG STORY
“Nathan and I wanted to tell them in person,” I lie. “And with them living so far away, we haven’t had a chance to yet.”That sounds plausible, right?I finish mopping up the spill and drop the sodden paper towels in the garbage.“The company has access to a private jet,” Hart reminds me.“I didn’t want Nathan to use it for a personal trip. Global warming and all.” I gather up the pieces of the mug, avoiding Hart’s gaze.“Miss Nicole. Let’s cut the crap, shall we?”I watch him warily.“You’re not in love with my son. This is some ploy to help him win the board vote next month. I don’t know what he’s paying you to play along...” he smirks, “but whatever it is, I’ll pay double.”“How dare you,” I hiss. I’m shaking with anger now. Anger and fear that he’s figured us out. I drop the shattered pieces of coffee mug in the trash. “I’ll have you know Nathan and I are visiting my parents this weekend. And tell me. Do you really think Nathan Coleman would waste his time tramping through the mud
HER BULLY'S REGRET MEETING NICOLE'S PARENTS
Instead, she just goes back to her work, smiling like she knows something about Nathan I don’t.Whatever it is, I don’t have time to worry about it.I need buy plane tickets for Atlanta.NATHAN“So,” I say, as I readjust my legs on the tiny plane for the millionth time. It turns out Nicole’s not just from Atlanta. She’s from small-farming-town-Atlanta. Like we got to Atlanta, and had to transfer onto an even tinier plane, because normal size ones don’t fly anywhere close to where she lives.At least the weather is supposed to be in the sixties. It will be nice to get a break from New York’s harsh winter cold.Nicole looks over at me nervously. She’s sitting by the window. The morning light makes her face look radiant. Like an angel up in the clouds.I ignore the pull to reach out and touch her, just to see if she’s still as soft as she looks.“Is there anything I should know about your parents, Nicole?”“They don’t like city boys,” she says.I bite back a smile. “And I’m a city boy?”
HER BULLY'S REGRET DREAMS
If Kiera comes home someday with a fiancé she’s known less than a month, I’ll be suspicious too.Fuck, I hope Kiera never does anything like what I’m doing right now.The conversation turns to Nicole, and I relax. I drape my arm over the back of her chair, happy to fade into the background while she enjoys time with people she loves.It’s kind of fun to see Nicole in her childhood home. It makes her look younger, more rebellious. I can imagine her up in her bedroom, wearing those big headphones she likes, listening to her favorite music and plotting her escape to New York.Unfortunately, that makes me think of where I’ll be sleeping tonight, which is not a thought I feel comfortable having in front of Nicole’s dad.I try to focus on the conversation instead.“I’m glad you gave up that idea of running your own company,” Bill says. “That’s too much responsibility for a girl your age.”Nicole tenses next to me, but she keeps her voice light. “You run your own business.”“It’s not the sam
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