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Chapter 32
Grace
MondaymorningIwalkinto the office completely dragging. The lack of caffeine and insomnia, coupled with the fact that when I actually start to fall asleep all I do is stress over Cash’s words, has made me a walking zombie. Something I cannot be today because I am meeting my next bachelorette at ten a.m.
The buzz from Jonathan and Cat’s engagement party is making our phone ring nonstop. Everyone wants to meet the matchmaker who introduced the power couple. In all honesty, I kind of wish that I had spotted their chemistry and actually could take credit for their pairing, because it is epic.
Watching Jonathan toast Cat on Saturday evening, with stars in his damn eyes, had me dabbing at my own. Fortunately, Cash steered clear of me the rest of the night, and I was able to sneak out after dinner with Marion by my side, feigning exhaustion. Now I only wish I had actually gone home and slept, rather than rolling Cash’s words over in my head. I should have napped yesterday rather than spending another day with Tessa traipsing through the city in search of baby items. I swear her guilt is going to give my baby a wardrobe until he or she turns eighteen.
Rachel smiles kindly when I walk in the door, and she holds out a tea. “It’s decaf, but it has natural vitamins in it that should help with your exhaustion.”
I smile and take it from her. “Bless you. Have I told you that you’re my favorite employee?”
She laughs. “I’m your only employee. Which we really should discuss seeing as how…” She stops and points to my stomach.
“Yes. You’re right. We should bring on a new receptionist so you can take on more of my duties.”
Rachel does a small, happy clap and calls after me as I continue to my office. “Oh, by the way, flowers were delivered. They’re on your desk.”
I spot the gorgeous white calla lilies with purple accents on them situated in a deep purple vase.
I’m not ready to deal with them, but curiosity gets the best of me.
Gracie, I told you I was coming for you. Prepare to swoon. Have dinner with me tonight. I love you, Cash.
My lip twitches and I curse at my traitorous body part.
We aren’t supposed to be this easy.
He can’t just say he’s ready and expect me to smile and fall for it.I’mnot ready.
I turn the card upside down so that I can’t see his ridiculous words. I sip my tea and curse that it’s not coffee, then turn on my computer and scroll through emails.
My newest client’s name is Sarah. She’s thirty-three, an executive for a tech startup, and made her first million when she was twenty-one. I want tobeher when I grow up, and I haven’t even met her yet. I’m giddy just thinking of all the men I want to introduce her to. Possibly even Hayden. He deserves someone as fantastic as Sarah and no one is better than him. After all my back and forth with the man, he deserves someone wonderful. My mind returns to the night where we almost took things too far. When I asked him to touch me and then couldn’t even handle his kiss. The moment his lips met mine, I felt the burn of tears. I tried to push through it though. A man like Hayden is everything I could ever hope for. But I couldn’t do it. And he knew it without making me say it. Instead, he pulled me into his strong arms and cuddled me all night. And then he came back the next night and did it again.
I need to stop leading him on. It’s not fair or practical. He may be willing to wait for me to move on from Cash, but I can’t do that to him. Not with a baby involved.
And Sarah may really be good for him.
I’m ecstatic that she gets to be in the driver’s seat and choose from a list of eligible men once she’s really gotten to know them. I google one of the men on my list and scroll through his information.
Five minutes later I turn over the card from Cash again.
I love you.
My eyes look everywhere in the room but at the card and then I look at the words again.
I love you.
Is he fucking insane?I love you? We haven’t spoken in weeks, and the last time we did it wasn’t pretty. He literally screwed me and then screwed me over. And now we’re having a damn baby. After all that, he believes he can apologize and send me flowers that say I love you! He expects me to go to dinner with him? I can’t even wrap my head around it.
I turn the card back over and return to my search.
I’m not sure how long I stare blankly at my screen, not paying attention to what I’m doing and instead rehashing every shit thing Cash has ever done, but by the time Rachel knocks on my door to tell me Sarah is here, I’ve come to a decision. I can’t move past his words. Or his actions. It’s really convenient that now that Cash knows the truth, he suddenly wants to win me back. But he didn’t have faith in me before. He didn’t believe in us enough to even talk to me before he tore me apart, piece by piece. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get past that. And I don’t think I should.
“Oh, Grace, I can’t tell you how excited I am to meet you,” Sarah says as she sits down in the velvet purple chair opposite my own. She’s even prettier in person, and her curves are out of this world.
“Believe me, the pleasure isallmine. Your resume is incredible. I can’t wait to introduce you to some of the men I have in mind. I actually have one man in mind who I have a feeling may be perfect for you.”
