The Man I Thought I Loved (Two-Faced #2) - E. L. Todd Page 0,1
was a journalist—because he didn’t get emotional. “I’ve had a really shitty week.”
He didn’t turn my way, but his body tightened noticeably.
“I really fucked up with Carson. And I wish I could take it back.”
He looked down into his beer. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you’re the brain, and she’s the heart.”
He turned back to me, his eyes curious at my words.
“You know, you’re more logical and pragmatic. She’s emotional, passionate, spontaneous. Those aren’t bad attributes. I mean, it’s what attracted me to her in the first place. But right now, it’s working against me.”
“If you think you’re going to get her back…it’s not going to happen.”
It felt like he’d pressed his shoe right against my chest and cracked it. “I’d still like us to be friends.”
He stared into my eyes, his dirty-blond hair combed back.
“Charlie, I never meant to hurt her. I know I should have told her the truth, but honestly, I haven’t met a woman I’ve actually cared about since my ex-wife. I wasn’t expecting to feel that way for a long time, so stumbling across Carson was unexpected.”
“If you’d told her sooner, if she’d heard it from you, none of this would have happened.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have dragged my feet.”
“You should have told her the moment you knew she wouldn’t care less about your money.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I should have. But we were already in pretty deep at that point.”
“Or when you asked her to be exclusive, you should have told her then.”
I sighed. “Charlie, we can play this game all night long. We can look back and point out every mistake and what I should have done better. But at the end of the day, I was just trying to find something real, and that’s impossible when women know I’m a billionaire. I never know if they want me for me or my wallet—and it’s usually my wallet.”
He nodded slightly, like he understood. “Dax, I totally get it. I don’t think you’re a bad guy.”
No one understood that kind of wealth until they had it. From their point of view, being rich was only a good thing, would only bring about positive outcomes. But they had no idea how much it changed the perception of everyone around them. They said it was lonely at the top, which was true. Sometimes people were so envious that they hated you. Sometimes they were so greedy that they obsessed over you. Sometimes they were insecure and wanted nothing to do with you. Sometimes people kissed your ass, when they normally wouldn’t give you the time of day. No single relationship was real…except what I had with my sister and a few friends. “I wasn’t sneaking around behind her back. I wasn’t married. The lie was harmless…for the most part.”
“Yeah, I get it. For anyone else, it wouldn’t be a problem. But after everything Carson has been through, it’s just too much. Her ex really fucked her up. It wasn’t just what he did, but the fact that he lied to her face every day and she believed him. She was humiliated.”
“I know that feeling just as well as she does.”
“But you had your shield up and asked her to take hers down.”
I sighed in disappointment.
“I’m sorry, man. I understand your point of view. But I also understand hers. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I still want her, Charlie.”
He dropped his gaze.
“I finally found a good woman, and I don’t want to let her go. I want another chance.”
He shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
“Maybe it could happen if you talked to her.”
He cringed then rubbed the back of his neck. “Man, you did not just go there.”
“Come on, Charlie. You know I’m a good guy. Yes, I lied about who I was, but everything else about me is totally real.”
He stared down into his beer.
“Who wouldn’t want their best friend to date a billionaire?”
He gave a slight chuckle. “She couldn’t care less about your money, man. If anything, it’s a turn-off.”
Fuck, why did I mess this up? “If you can honestly tell me there’s a better guy for her, that there’s somebody who would treat her better than I would, I’ll let this go. But there’s a ton of scumbags out there, and I’m not one of them. I get along with all of you perfectly. I’m not some stuck-up suit. I’m impressed by her success rather than intimidated by it. She’s a lot of woman, and she needs a lot of man. I’m definitely man