Page 31 of Boyfriend Maintenance

Oh…

“She’s done this before to you, hasn’t she?”

He shrugs, emotionless.

“And you’re just okay with your soon-to-be wife not even waiting for the ink to dry on the marriage certificate before she starts cheating?”

“It is what it is, Ems.”

“Bullshit, Levi,” I whisper-yell. “You’re going to marry Darcy and you’re completely okay with her cheating on you? You just don’t do that to the one you love!”

“Keep your voice down, Emmy,” he hisses, and I roll my eyes. No one will hear us back here.

“And who said anything about love?” he mutters.

“Oh, so let me guess, this is Dad’s doing? Right? You’re not marrying for love, you're marrying for money?” I can’t help but snarl at the thought.

“Don’t give me that—don’tjudge me,” he bites back.

“See, this is why I got out.”

“Give me a break, it’s not like we’re in the mob. Stop being dramatic. Unlike you, I’m not interested in walking away from millions just to be happy. You know what? Moneycanbuy fucking happiness. But then, you wouldn’t know, since you don’t have any anymore,” he snaps.

That’s when I hear a shift beside me on the couch. That’s when I remember that Jake has been watching this whole shitshow of an argument.

And now he knows my truth.

Chapter 14

Jake

Did I hear that correctly?I shift in my seat, suddenly feeling overheated.

I don’t think I understand what I am hearing right now. Emmy got out? She walked away from money? But she has money, lots of it. She lives in the 425 Madison building, for Christ’s sake. Plus, she dropped a grand on clothes for me and her own clothes are all designer.

This doesn’t make sense. She has money—not that I care, I don’t have a lot of money, and I’m not a fucking gold digger.

No, what doesn’t make sense is that she would lie to me about it. Why would she let me believe that she has money when she doesn’t? Why would she offer to pay me fifteen grand to be her fake boyfriend?

What the actual fuck? There has got to be some kind of explanation here. One that doesn’t result in my anger quietly boiling up within me.

I shoot a look to Emmy and she's standing stock-still, her eyes closed. I swing my gaze to Levi and see that he’s studying her as well.

“Wait a second. Wait one-fucking-second.” Levi pushes off the desk, walks over to the couch I’m sitting on, and plops down at the other end. Once he’s comfortable he continues. “What’s going on here?”

I stare hard at Emmy, willing her to look at me. She doesn’t.

“So, let me get this straight, you’re getting all up in my business about starting a marriage built on infidelity, yet you’re starting a relationship out on a bed of lies? Interesting.”

He’s a dick. I don’t know why Emmy thinks the world of this guy. Brother or not.

“We aren’t starting our relationship out with lies.” Emmy grits her teeth.

Levi looks between us for a few seconds. “Clearly something shady is happening right now. You look guilty as shit and Jake, well, he looks fucking clueless.”

“Fuck off, Levi,” Emmy spits.

This guy is really pissing me off.

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