The Billionaire's Practice Kiss - Tamie Dearen Page 0,50
all. It kept him from having to think so much about how miserable he was. “What did you say?”
“I was saying we ought to have a party. Invite the whole gang.” She flipped her head, flinging her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “They’d love to see this place. I bet most of them would come.”
“Maybe.” The real answer was no, but why bother to argue? After the Limitless event in a few weeks, he planned to end the relationship in a firm but nice manner. Hopefully he would’ve dated Allegra long enough to satisfy Ellery. He didn’t know because he’d stopped talking to her. In part because of his injured pride, but mostly because talking to Ellery made being apart even more unbearable.
“I know they’d come if I asked them,” she said in a tone probably meant to be reassuring.
“Who?” He’d already forgotten what she’d been talking about.
“Our friends from home. The old gang.”
“I’ll think about it. They never liked me much. They tolerated me because of you.”
Her prolonged sigh could’ve won an Oscar. “I don’t understand why you’re being so standoffish. You won’t make any plans. You answer in one-word sentences. You act like you’re still mad at me over something that happened five years ago.”
“Mad isn’t the right word. Maybe wary.”
“That makes me so sad.” She sounded sad, but her expression barely changed. Botox, perhaps?
“At least I said more than one word.”
She broke into a girlish giggle. Was that a new thing? Logan didn’t remember her making that sound before.
“You always could make me laugh.” She patted the couch beside her. “Why don’t you come sit over here instead of in that chair where I can’t be close to you? Am I that repugnant to you?”
Her expression turned wistful, and a surge of guilt hit him. What if she had genuine feelings for him? He was treating her badly… using her. He had to end it now.
“Allegra, this isn’t going to work. I can’t keep seeing you. ”
“That’s not fair.” Her wistful look vanished, anger in its place. “You never even gave us a fair chance. You already had your mind made up before we started.”
“It’s not fair to you to keep pretending I’m interested in you. I haven’t gotten over Ellery.”
Her ice blue eyes narrowed. Could they do that if she’d had Botox?
“Ellery’s gone, Logan. She left you. I made that mistake once, and I’ll never do it again.”
“I’ll try to win her back.”
“Why? Why choose her over me?”
“Maybe because I’ve learned that beauty really is more than skin deep.”
“I’m not talking about her face.” She waved off his comment with a flip of her hand. “You’re saying you think Ellery is a better person than I am. I get it. You think she’s some kind of perfect innocent, righteous angel, and I’m some evil oppressor.”
The description was fairly accurate. “She is better than you!”
Unperturbed, Allegra crossed her arms. “You believe I’m rich and spoiled. But if you’re honest, you’ll realize you and I both are.”
“I won’t deny it. But Ellery’s made me a better man. At least I’m trying to be.”
“And there’s the real difference between Ellery and me.” Allegra aimed her index finger at his chest. “With Ellery, you’ll forever be trying to please her and forever falling short. But I love you just the way you are. I always have.”
Her words rang true, but she’d lied to him before.
“If you ever really loved me, you had a funny way of showing it.”
“Logan, I know I hurt you when I broke up with you five years ago, but I had a reason.”
To his surprise, fat tears began to roll down her cheeks, leaving a black mascara trail behind. He could count the times he’d seen her cry on one hand. Had she enhanced her acting skills in the last five years? He tamped down the automatic sympathy rising inside him. He couldn’t let himself be manipulated again.
“I get it. You had to choose between being with me and keeping Daddy happy, right?”
Years of pent-up anger made him lather on more sarcasm than he should have. He regretted it when her tears flowed faster, her nose turning red.
“You don’t understand what kind of man my father is, Logan. I know your stepfather did some awful things, but Dad has… he’s destroyed people. Literally ruined their lives.” Black now ringed her eyes like a raccoon as she swiped at her wet cheeks with her trembling fingers. “With him, it’s about money and power. I’m fairly certain