Page 130 of Return Billionaire to Sender

Malcolm

Her eyes lookas big as saucers. She says, “I don’t know what to say.”

“No words needed. Just signatures.”

She studies my eyes. There’s a new confidence in her—a sense of strength that I can’t quite put my finger on. “You sent a set of these papers over with a courier?”

“I know you came over to tell me something, but hear me out,” I say. “I reacted like a madman. I’m sorry.”

“You were hurt,” she says. “I lied. You trusted me and I broke that trust in the worst way. I pride myself on honesty—”

“Well, I didn’t listen when you tried to apologize. I didn’t let you explain.”

“Well, I pretended I was your coach,” she says.

“Well, I threw you all out on the street—”

“Well, I—”

I go to her, press a finger to her lips. “You think you can one-up me on throwing you out on the street?” I ask.

She grabs my wrist, pulls my hand away. “Well, I fell in love with you,” she says.

“What?”

“It’s what I came over to tell you if you’d let me get a word in edgewise,” she says.

My pulse rages in my ears. “That you love me?”

“Yes,” she says defiantly, keeping hold of my wrist.

“Say it again.”

“I love you,” she repeats.

I swallow back the dryness in my mouth. I never imagined anybody saying that to me—not ever. I never imagined myself wanting to say ittoanybody. Those three words belong to other people—not me. Not ever me. But I take her hands, gaze into her eyes. “I love you, too,” I say.

“You do?”

“I do. I love you. I know—stunning, huh? I’m the guy who stalks around alone, hating everybody. But you make me want to be part of the world of people doing all the stupid stuff together, like skating at Rockefeller Center and having jokey theme songs and choosing favorite animals. I know that probably doesn’t seem very huge to you, but I never wanted that before. I can’t promise my favorite animal would be a hedgehog, of course.”

“Oh my god, Malcolm,” she says, blinking away the tears.

“No, listen, here’s the thing—I can’t promise that I’ll stop being a villain altogether, but I’ll always be your villain. What do you think?”

“I’d be honored…for you to be my villain.”

“I don’t know what to say now,” I confess. “I’m not used to this much sweetness. It might be too much sweetness right now.”

“Poor baby,” she whispers, beaming at me.

“Maybe this is a good time to let you know that I punched AJ this week. Several times.”

“Wait, what?” Her lips part in shock. “You punched AJ?”

“It felt good.”

“I don’t understand…”

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