Page 101 of Between Now and Forever

“What about that boy—the one you were with the morning—?”

“Would Daddy approve of him?” My heart leaps into my throat. Would Carter consider? Maybe just for the money, but at least we like each other.

“Maybe. Are you in touch with him?”

I give her a look of impatience. “I’m not in touch with anyone, Fiona. Remember?”

“Sorry. Want to use my phone?”

“I don’t have his number.”

“Beth, you’re too young to be so antiquated. See if you can find him online and send a message or something.” She looks excited and I’m nervous. If I type his name into her phone she’ll know it and what if she tells my father.

“I promise I won’t tell your father. I swear on this baby’s life.”

I grimace at the macabre pledge, but decide this is not the time to shy away from risk. I’ve got a bullet to my head.

I google him and the first hit is his Facebook page. Maybe I can send a message there.

I hit the link and scroll. The first picture is him with an idiotic grin, his cheek resting on an ample, bare unmistakably feminine backside with the caption “What’re you having for breakfast?”

The post is dated this morning.

I scroll and torture myself until I get to the date of my encounter with Mr. Westfall. I want to see what he was doing while I was fighting to try and find a way out of here so that I could see him again one day.

He was at a restaurant with a redhead who’s kissing his cheek while he grins like an idiot at the camera. The caption says “Hakuna Matata.”

I’m numb. I feel nothing.

Men are pigs. Carter Bosh—the worst kind. At least Duke and my father didn’t pretend to care.

I look up at Fiona, and when I blink, tears roll down my cheeks.

I wipe them away. Not one more tear for any of these assholes.

I hand her the phone.

“No, he’s not an option.”

“If only Duke could be convinced.”

“Duke? He’s got his sights set higher than me.”

“Oh…I mean, but we both know those are delusions of grandeur. Now that you’ve got not just your inheritance but your brother’s, it’s a much sweeter pot now.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, and at least he’s young and hot.” She wiggles her shoulder.

“Okay, let’s ask him.”

She smiles, a wide, delighted, conspiratorial grin. She pulls open her purse and types something on her phone. It buzzes almost immediately and she nods and tucks it back in her purse.

“He’s on his way in, now.”

“Now?” I stand, dismayed to realize that this was an ambush.

“Calm down, Liz. I promise, you’re going to be very pleased.

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