Page 85 of The Upgrade

“Don’t play shrink with me, Eve. Stay in your own lane.”

It’s cruel and uncalled for and I watch as the words land like punches.

“Fine.” Her fingers make air-quotes, so maybe she’s mocking me now. “You’refine. Everything’sfine.Your stupid decision isfine.”

My chest aches like someone’s standing on it. I’m dying to say I don’t mean it. To wrap her in my arms and apologize for being an asshole.

But because I’m an asshole, I can’t keep Eve in my life. She deserves so much better. “I wish you the best, Eve.” With somebody capable of giving it. “Have a nice life.”

She stares for so long I’m not sure she heard me. “You, too,Topher.”

Eve turns on her heel and strides down the path toward the beach. I watch her go, memorizing the curve of her waist. The sheen of her hair in the moonlight. The vanilla-orange scent of her trailing the breeze.

I stare until Eve disappears behind a cluster of palm trees.

As she exits my life forever.

CHAPTER13

EVE

Itrudge back to the table with a pit in my stomach, not sure how I’ll make it through dinner.

Logan looks up, takes one look at my face, and gets to his feet. “Eve? Everything okay?”

“I’m fine.” That’s exactly what Kit just said. “Actually, I’m not fine. Could we take a raincheck on dinner?”

“Of course.” His kind eyes search mine for a moment. “If you want to talk about it, I’m a good listener.”

“Thanks, but—” Maybe I do need to talk. “I feel bad about leaving you waiting while I ran off to see another man.”

One eyebrow quirks. “You know it’s my literal job to see other women, right? And—spoiler alert—they’re also seeing other people.”

An uninvited laugh bubbles out of me. “Fair point.”

Logan nods to the table. “Salads arrived while you were gone. Want me to get you a box?”

I look down at the Caesar, which likely won’t keep very well. I pick up my fork and spear into a hunk of romaine.

“How do you do it?” The question pops out as I poke a cherry tomato. “Just detach yourself emotionally from the sexual experience?”

“Who says I do?” Logan picks up his own fork. “The emotional part is my favorite. I get off on connecting with people going through something intensely vulnerable.”

“Sex?”

“I meant the whole Jilted Brides Honeymoon Club thing, but yeah. Sex is vulnerable, too.” He swallows a bite of his own salad. “I like being there to remind women they’re beautiful, sexual, desirable humans who deserve to feel awesome. Not a bad thing to get paid for, really.”

Hell. That makes me like Logan even more. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Fire away.” He stabs a thick leaf of lettuce, then a crouton, then a baby tomato, adorning his fork like a salad kebab. “Not much I won’t share.”

From what I’ve heard in the Jilted Brides gossip network, that’s true in many ways. Not what I’m focused on now, though. “Do you want to get married?”

“Someday.” Logan frowns. “Wait. You weren’t proposing, were you?”

I laugh. “No.”

“Because it wouldn’t be the first one I’ve gotten.”

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