Page 76 of Do It With Me

CHAPTER 33

ELLORA

I sat cross-legged on the couch between Bree and Mercedes, an open bottle of wine sweating on the coffee table next to three glasses in various stages of needing to be refilled. The air smelled like melted cheese, chocolate, and heartbreak, the three primary food groups of any proper pity party.

Bree and Mercedes were meeting for the first time, and somehow, they were already thick as thieves, united in their shared mission of keeping me from wallowing too hard. To be fair, when I’d called them, I’d felt—and sounded—like my world was ending.

That was how I’d felt when I’d left Holden’s building, at least. Both of them had been waiting when I’d gotten home, all three of us laden down with wine and snacks.

“I still can’t believe he’s the person behind it all.” Bree tore another piece off a gooey mozzarella stick and held it up, but didn’t pop it in her mouth yet. “That’s, like, some next-level betrayal. He really never said a word?”

I shook my head. “Not a one. Not even a hint or a comment that could’ve had another meaning. Nothing.”

Mercedes reached for her glass and wrapped her fingers around it, curling her legs up under her. “Rich, hot, smart, charming. That’s always the combo you have to watch out for. I didn’t think he would wind up being downright evil, though. At worst, I thought he might end up not being able to stop fucking around.”

I groaned and flopped backward against the cushions. “Don’t remind me. I think I’m allergic to billionaires now. Or maybe just men in general.”

“They’re all assholes,” Mercedes declared. “Except Kody, of course. Nothing bad we say about boys tonight applies to him.”

Bree threw a pretzel at her. “You don’t count. From the sounds of it, you and Kody are the Disney version of love. Everyone else is just trying not to drown in the dating swamp.”

“True,” I said, pointing my glass at her. “You two are soulmates. The rest of us are just, I don’t know, hobbyists or something. This sucks.”

Bree sighed and topped off my wine. “So what’s the plan now? You can’t just give up your store. No matter who’s developing the block. You can’t let him take that from you, Ella.”

“I don’t want to, but I honestly don’t know what else to do,” I admitted, staring into my glass. “I signed their stupid papers, remember? I guess it’s done. I just… I thought he cared. I really did.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and took a huge, slow gulp of wine. Mercedes reached over and squeezed my hand. “Maybe he does care, but caring doesn’t really undo what he did. At the very least, he should’ve told you.”

I nodded, blinking fast as tears started welling in my eyes. “Yeah. I know. It’s just a really bitter pill to swallow. I mean, this is the man who was with me after my mom died. He’s the guy who canceled his entire day to take us to the beach. In Florida. On his private plane.”

Mercedes grimaced. “Not for nothing, but flying people around on a private jet isn’t as big of a deal to those who can afford it as it is to those of us who can’t. Maybe he just wanted to go to the beach and figured he’d give you a ride.”

“No,” Bree said immediately, her features soft as her eyes held mine. “It might not have been as big of a deal to him, but he wasn’t just going to the beach anyway. He definitely did that because Sara wanted to go. Not that it excuses what he was doing behind your back, but we should at least give him that.”

“True.” I sighed. Closing my eyes, I dropped my head back on the couch. “I just really thought I was a better judge of character, you know?”

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t see this coming from him either,” Bree offered. “He was really, really good at hiding that he’s a cruel, soulless jerk. I was actually pretty surprised by how nice he was. And the way he looked at you…”

She trailed off, her head shaking.

Mercedes took a sip of her wine, staring absently into the middle distance for a minute. “I only met him briefly at the funeral, but she’s right. I really do think he cares. I’m just not sure if or how that changes anything.”

“It doesn’t,” I said with a hint of finality ringing in my voice. “This is what he does for a living. It’s how he made his money. He develops properties, and often, those properties are being leased to people like me before he sinks his claws into them.”

A few seconds of silence passed between us before Bree held up her glass. “To complicated men, temporary heartbreak, and carbs.”

I clinked my glass against hers. “To good friends who bring good snacks.”

“To hiring private detectives to investigate the next men who try to come into your lives.” Mercedes winked. “Seriously, we’re never letting this happen again. I’m sure Kody knows someone who could help us out with this.”

“Fucking billionaires,” I muttered, reaching for another handful of chips. “Think they’re rulers of the entire universe and that it doesn’t matter who they hurt.”

Mercedes arched an eyebrow. “Not all of them.”

“Right, of course,” I said dryly, waving a chip in her direction. “Just most of them. Present company’s fiancés excluded, obviously. Kody’s basically a humanitarian with a trust fund.”

“Damn straight,” she said with a proud grin. “Well, I mean, he is now. Think about what he was like at first.”