Page 31 of Can't Get Enough

“Sure,” she finally says. “As soon as the details are nailed, I’ll text you.”

My mouth twists into a satisfied smile like I’ve won this round when I shouldn’t even be playing. Not with this woman. “Appreciate that.”

“I have a three o’clock I need to get ready for, but thank you for following up,” she says.

“Look forward to hearing more.”

“Um, Mr. Bell.”

“Maverick, please, since we may be doing business together.”

“Yeah, Maverick, I plan to tell Zere that you might be investing. I want to avoid any misunderstandings on that front.”

“Ahhhhh. I see.”

“She and I are doing Chapel’s show together, so I need to protect my working relationship with her and wouldn’t want her to wonder about the nature of my connection to you.”

“Makes sense. Not her concern anymore,” I say wryly. “But I respect you being completely aboveboard. Did she tell you why we broke up?”

“She did, yeah.”

“Sometimes people want different things more than they want each other. In the long run, it’s best they go their separate ways.”

“Makes sense,” she says. “Well, I have another call and need to go, but I’ll be in touch.”

Once we’ve disconnected, I stare at my phone for a few seconds before dialing Zere.

“Mav,” Zere answers on the first ring. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Now that I have her on the line, I’m not sure what to say as I watch the falling hourglass sands mark the seconds stretching into awkwardness. “How are you?”

“Don’t do that,” she whispers, strain cracking her typically cool facade. “I cannot take small talk from you right now. My office has been fielding calls about the announcement all day. I haven’t left the house because I know someone will ask me about this mutual breakup of ours and I’ll…” Her voice trails off, breaks over the words she doesn’t say. “Please just get to the point of why you called, Mav.”

“Zee.”

“The point.”

“I, uh, I’m thinking of selling the Miami house.”

“You’re thinking of it?” She barks out a laugh. “I know you better than that. By the time you say you’rethinking about somethingit means there’s probably already afor salesign out front.”

“We had our first bite this morning,” I admit. “But I know how much you love that house. I thought I’d ask if you want it.”

“If Iwantit? A twelve-million-dollar house. You just want to give it to me? Like a parting gift for your mistress?”

“What? Hell, no, Zee. That’s not—”

“Because I wasn’t your mistress. You didn’tkeepme. Support me. I was with you because I loved you. I stayed because I saw a future for us.”

“I never lied to you. I told you from the beginning I didn’t want more kids, and you said you were fine with it.” I frown, but gentle my voice despite the firm message. “It’s not my fault you thought I would change. Thoughtyoucould change me. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But you did.” Her words tangle with her tears. “I’m hurting so bad today and you call to offer me a house? Like some string of pearls for being your favorite fuck you’re done with and want to dismiss?”

“No. It’s not like that.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and huff out a breath. “I didn’t want you to find out I’d sold the house and not talked to you because I know you love it so much. And I would give it to you because I care about you.”

“Not enough, though, right?”

To completely compromise what I want the next twenty years of my life to be? No, not enough for that.

---