Page 46 of How to Belong with a Billionaire

I rolled about in helpless dismay. “Why is past me so wise when present me is a hot mess?”

“No, no,” said Nik reassuringly, “past you was a hot mess too. It’s just you very occasionally say sensible things and it’s so shocking I always remember them.”

I made pathetic noises.

“Seriously.” He folded his arms. “Tell them to fuck off. One broke your heart, the other is clearly a wanker.”

“Yes, but if I don’t go, they’ll know I think that.”

“And we care what they think, why?”

“Because…because they’ll win if I have emotions.”

There was a pause.

“Okay,” said Nik. “You know those sensible things you sometimes say? Thatwasn’tone of them.”

I made more pathetic noises.

Nik also made noises. They sounded frustrated. “I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be doing here. Am I supposed to talking you out of this or talking you into it?”

“Neither. I’m going. I just want…y’know.”

“Ahhhh.Is this a feelings thing?”

I sat up and gazed adoringly at the camera. “You noticed. You’ve totally grown as a person.”

“All right. Your feelings are valid and I support them, even though there are simple things you could do to make yourself feel better and you’re refusing to do them.”

“Actually, talking to you is the thing I’m doing to make me feel better. And it’s working because you’re great.”

He looked put-upon. “Okay. Talk about your feelings. I’m here.”

“No, no.” I crossed my legs and cosied up to the laptop. “I’m done now. How are you?”

“Fine.”

“How’s the physio?”

“Fine.”

“Is it, like, y’know. Helping and stuff?”

He gave a sort of half shrug. “I guess. A bit.”

“That’s good.” I gave him a little smile. “I mean, this stuff takes a while, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re still keeping up with your nerdy MIT crowd who are way less cool than me?”

“Kind of.” Another shrug. “They visit and we play games and talk about all the shit they’re doing that I’m not.”

My eyes widened. “Oh, Nik. You’re, like, genius-level smart. A year or so isn’t going to make any difference in the long run.”

“Maybe. But as Keynes put it, in the long run we’re all dead.”

“Wow. That’s bleak.”

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