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“I don’t love you.”
“I don’t love you either.” He scoffed. “This marriage would be a pure transactional one, and it would benefit the both of us.”
I wasn’t sure whether to return to my room or jump off the balcony. Either of those options sounded far more appealing that listening to Grant’s logic.
“I hope you get the help you need,” I said, turning around and heading to the door. “I’ll have Sarah Kay send you a list of local therapists.”
“Wait, Kate.” He jumped in front of me before I could turn the knob. He looked panicked and I could see that his eyes were red and puffy. “Just sit down and hear me out for fifteen minutes, please.”
“I’ll give you five,” I said. “But spoiler alert, I won’t ever marry you.”
He waited until I took a seat, and then he slowly paced the room.
“For the past few weeks, my parents have been threatening to put a hold on giving me my inheritance when it’s due,” he said. “They think I spend too much of my time having sex, drinking, and partying.”
“I detect no lies.”
“Can you let me finish, please?” He looked genuine. “I’m begging you to just listen.”
I tucked my lips into my mouth and nodded.
“Anyway, they always said little things about me not ‘deserving’ the money or me not being mature enough to helm the company when my dad decides to step down.”
Once again … No lies detected.
“A few nights ago, they sat me down over dinner and?” He paused. “Okay, it wasn’t over dinner. They were just sitting at the table waiting on me when I got home at four in the morning. They said they were done believing I would change and they were going to make me wait another five years for my inheritance?” He looked at me. “Until I said that I’d been hanging out with you.”
I crossed my arms.
“I told them that I hadn’t really been partying all the time, that ‘Kate Kensington’ and I were in a relationship and we were just being secretive and didn’t want anyone else to know.” He smiled. “You should’ve seen how happy and proud they were, as if being with you was the only thing I’d ever done right in my life.”
“Am I allowed to talk yet?”
“Forty-five more seconds,” he said, pulling a red velvet ring box out of his pocket. “I told them we were serious so …” He cleared his throat. “I asked your uh, friend, what type of ring he would dream of getting you someday and just took his notes to a jeweler.”
“How romantic of you….” I was tempted to look at the ring, but my heart couldn’t bear it right now, and I was still trying to make it a full day without crying over James.
“So,” he said, going over my five minute time limit, “I’m asking that you marry me for ninety days, Kate. I get my inheritance on time, I get to start shadowing my father at the company, and you get to be married to a Harrison. Temporarily, of course, but still.” He shrugged. “And at the end of ninety days, we’ll put out an announcement saying we rushed into marriage and are taking a break but we’ll remain friends and hopefully remarry again. Then we’ll quietly divorce and that’ll be the end. Win. Win.”
“Yeah, so …” I stood to my feet. “Hell no.”
“You didn’t even think on it.”
“What exactly is there to think about?” I couldn’t believe his audacity. “Your arrangement only benefits you, and no offense, but I don’t like you enough to care about you not getting your inheritance or impressing your parents. Go try one of the Walton sisters.”
“Your dad told me yes.” He glared at me. “He said he’d be honored to have me as a son-in-law.”
“Until he finds out who you really are.”
“You marrying me would benefit you more than me, Kate.” He was officially delusional. “You just didn’t give me enough time to list all the reasons.”
“Right …”
“Well, thank you for the laugh,” I said, opening the door. “I really needed it today.”
He picked up the ring box and tossed it to me. “I think you should go talk to your dad and then come back to me with a yes. I’ll wait.”
“The only person I am waiting for is James.”
“Yeah?” He raised his eyebrow. “Tell me, how’s that going? Still crying in your room every night, or have you finally realized you were just a fall fling to him?”
I left the room without answering, slamming the door shut behind me.
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, I walked through the rose garden. I felt the weight of Grant’s ring box in my pocket, and I was looking for the perfect spot to bury it into the ground.
“Kate?” The deep sound of my father’s voice made me turn around. He was standing next to my mother, and they were both sporting smiles.
