Page 114 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“Nothing,” she said quickly, but her tone betrayed her.

“Carla,” I pleaded, stepping forward. “Please, tell me. We tell each other everything, don’t we?”

She hesitated, crossing her arms over her chest. Finally, she sighed. “I thought you were here to apologize in person.”

“What?” I was confused. “I did apologize.”

She shook her head in disgust. “Yes, of course you did. Thank you so much for your time. I really, really appreciate it.”

Her words hit me like a slap. “I—Carla, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a terrible friend.”

She shook her head. “Whatever.”

“Carla, let’s get some coffee and talk. I’ve been up all night and need some serious caffeine.”

She rolled her eyes, which again surprised me. “Kaira, you didn’t come here to apologize. You came here because things with Roman went sour. Again. That’s the only reason you’re here. You want to tell me all about the mean things he did. You want me to give you advice and tell you he really does want you and you should fight for him. Right? That’s how this is supposed to go, right?”

Tears burned in my eyes. I blinked them back furiously. She wasn’t wrong. I had been a selfish friend, caught up in my own drama while ignoring her. “I’ve messed everything up,” I whispered. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Carla softened slightly, but she didn’t move to comfort me. “I don’t know what to tell you, Kaira. You’ve been so wrapped up in your life with Roman that you’ve barely noticed anyone else. You’ve seen our other friends do the same thing. We’ve sat on this very couch and talked shit about the stupid girls who go all in on a guy they barely know. And now, here you are, doing exactly that. Where’s that girl who was going to conquer the world, huh? Where has she gone?”

Carla’s words stung. She had a point. I had let myself get swept away by romance and drama, losing sight of everything else that mattered—my dreams, my ambitions, even my friendships.

“I know,” I managed to say, my voice cracking with emotion. “I lost myself for a while there. I forgot who I was supposed to be.”

Carla sighed again, her posture relaxing slightly as she looked at me not with anger, but with disappointment. “Yeah, you did.”

I nodded, biting my lip to keep from sobbing. “I’ve been horrible to you. I’ve ignored you when you needed me.”

“I didn’t need you, but you were my best friend. We spent all our free time together and then you were just gone. You didn’t think twice about me. I’m not mad that you had a boyfriend or whatever that was. I’m mad that you let his money and status change you.”

Carla’s words left me gutted, a piercing truth I couldn’t deny. My eyes welled up as I gulped down the lump forming in my throat, feeling the weight of her disappointment. “You’re right,” I admitted. “I let myself get carried away with everything Roman represented. It was glamorous and exciting at first, but I lost so much of myself in the process.”

“It’s like you disappeared into someone else. The Kaira I knew wouldn’t have done that.”

I glanced around the apartment. This wasn’t home. Carla and I would just keep going round and round. I didn’t want to completely damage our friendship.

“I… I think I need to go away for a while. Give you some space. Get my head on straight.”

She looked at me, surprised. “Where will you go?”

“To my parents’ place in Philadelphia,” I said. “Just for a little while. I need to figure out what I’m doing with my life. And you deserve better than what I’ve been giving you. If you want to rethink our living arrangement, I’ll understand. All I ask is that you give me enough time to find another roommate.”

For a moment, I hoped she would tell me to stay, that we could work this out in a day or two. But she didn’t. She just nodded. “Maybe that’s a good idea. I’ll let you know if I find somewhere to go.”

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing. “Yeah,” I said, forcing a weak smile. “Great.”

I dragged my suitcases to my room. I wasn’t going to bother unpacking. I closed the door behind me. The familiar smell of lavender and old books hit me, and for the first time in a long time, it didn’t bring comfort. I sank onto the bed and pulled out my phone, dialing my dad.

He picked up after a few rings. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said, his voice warm and familiar. “How was your night?”

“Terrible.”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

I took a shaky breath. I hated that I had to do this. I hated that I had to rely on my parents to bail me out of another mess. “Dad, I need to come home. The contract is over, and I’m broke, and I just… I need to be with you and Mom for a while. I can’t be here.”

There was a pause on the other end. I braced myself for disappointment. “You don’t have to explain, Kaira. We’ll take care of it. I’ll book your ticket right now. When do you want to fly out?”