Page 85 of Forty, Flirty & F*cked

“What?”

He catches my hand. "Stay. I mean it. Stay here. We’ll figure the rest of our shit out later.”

For a moment, I let myself imagine it. Staying. Being honest. Building something real.

Then my phone buzzes again:

KAT: The marriage certificate expires in ten days

KAT: After that, no more easy annulment

KAT: Tick tock

"I can't." I step back. "I'm sorry, I just... I can't."

Understanding flickers in his eyes, followed by something that looks too much like resignation.

“I get it.” He straightens, CEO mask sliding into place. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

“It’s not because I don’t want to?—“

"It's fine." But it's not. Nothing about this is fine. "I'll have Christoph bring the car around."

I want to explain. Want to tell him everything. Want to be brave enough to risk losing him by being honest.

Instead, I leave him standing in his crystal-cleansed bedroom, the weight of secrets threatening to drown me.

My phone buzzes one final time:

YASMIN: The chapel sent another package

YASMIN: This one's ticking

YASMIN: Should I call the bomb squad?

YASMIN: Update: Never mind, it's just another musical photo frame

YASMIN: Though the Elvis impersonator is asking about reality show rights again...

I close my eyes, letting Seattle's spring rain wash over me as I exit the building.

Ten days. Ten days to fix this mess before it becomes permanent.

Ten days to save Connor's IPO from my lies.

I can do this.

I have to do this.

21

THE COST OF CARING

CONNOR

Days pass, and Friday morning dawns gray and restless over Seattle, matching my mood as I stare at the protein powder research spreadsheet I definitely shouldn't have spent all night creating.

"Sir?" Yasmin appears in my office doorway. "The venture capital meeting starts in ten minutes."

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