Page 84 of Bribed by the Billionaire Bad Boy

Will it never be true?

If I told you I fell, would you just ask, “For who?”

Even now the melody of the song I wroteaboutfalling in love with him burns in the back of my head.

“Well, see?” he murmurs. “There’s no risk then.”

Yeah. Because we’re well past it being arisk.

Lex

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I choked.

The single most important act I’ve ever put together, and I choked. I had three goals with the whole “severance agreement” scene. First, sever the business connection. Second, make sure she takes the money; she still needs that. Third, tell her I love her.

I couldn’t do it.

I just couldn’t make myself do it.

It didn’t feel like the right time. I took the joke so far she was crying. I wasn’t acting completely like myself with the whole façade of the situation surrounding us. The air tasted like business.

I don’t want the air to taste likebusinesswhen I tell her.

Maybe more than that, this night is the day my father took me aside all morning to “remind” me about my whole promise to start business school once this school year ends. He took time out of his busy schedule to go over things with me, reinstate the “agreement” we made, and make sure I didn’t forget the threats.

He’s paying for my school. My whole life. I just spent several thousand dollars onwho knows whatagain. Without his help and financial aid, I wouldn’t even be able to live out my littleacting dream. He’s doing me afavor.

No. No, no, no. I don’t want to tell her on the same day as allthat.

I don’t even know how I’m supposed to tell her that I’ll be leaving in spring. With the way she reacts to the unexpected, I can’t. In her mind, no doubt we’ll be going to college together for at least two more years. That’s what she’s planned for, and I have no idea how to invite the idea that I’ll be abandoning her intothat lovely picture. She only has two friends.

She’s already been abandoned by her father and other friends. People don’t just purposefully make themselves alone unless some sort of history makes people unsafe to be around.

I’d bet my next hobby the person who scarred her picture of friendship is Agatha.

That girl is relentless.

I dread seeing her tomorrow in theater class.

~*~

Kenneth is in love. Somehow the female thief has stolen his heart. How he let it happen is a mystery. But after turning down Greta, his father’s planned betrothed for him, he realized all too vividly why. While he hates almost everything his father left for him to take care of when the man died, he’s been responsible enough with all of it. Giving up his heart, however, is the one thing he can’t seem to go through with.

He just has no idea how to put that into words in front of his Harriet.

But he’s going to try.

Spoiler alert: he fails.

I sigh, skimming over the scene before I take to the stage. It’s mocking me.

How fantastic that I’ll get to live through choking again.

“Mr. Hawthorn?” Mr. D’plume summons me forth, and I wander out from backstage to meet Harriet. She’s already in character and just a little too bold.

Calypso is too cute when she’s bold and bright and brilliant like Harriet, entirely unashamed. It’s almost like Harriet is her at her core. Or who she wants to be all the time. Harriet is the girl who’s unafraid, the girl who doesn’t hesitate to beat broken wings, swearing one day she’ll take off.

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