Page 25 of Fake It For Love (Faux Love)
I bent my knees and rested my chin on top. My gaze focused on the beauty of the area I was in. It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. Before Dad lost the money, we would take vacations all around the world. We’d been to the beach countless times, but I could barely remember those days.
I remembered few details about those times. That was on purpose. I tried not to. Dwelling on the stuff that was a part of that past life did no one any good. I had long ago accepted my life for what it was today.
I didn’t mind the way I lived, but I wanted to live just a little better. This trip was supposed to be my opportunity to pull myself out of the hole. It wasn’t like I was expecting anything for free. It wasn’t like I wasn’t sacrificing anything. It was my pride and dignity on the line.
I should have known this was all too good to be true. There was no such thing as easy money. This was why people avoided easy money schemes. It never worked out. This was my own fault. I was going to have to bust my ass and figure out another way. It looked like I was going to be getting a second job after all.
A gentle breeze lifted my hair and blew it across my shoulder. If I could take a step back from the situation, I would have to laugh. There were how many men in this world and the one I got paired with was the one person I didn’t want to see again. Fate could be very cruel. Even if I wanted to try and make this stupid deal work, I had pretty much ruined all chances of that.
I was embarrassed by my behavior at dinner. It seemed like whenever it came to him, I turned into an obnoxious brat. I supposed it was because I was a little jealous of him. Not because of what he had. Because the man seemed invincible. I was a bitch back in high school. I was not nice. Tony was awful. Norah, well, she tried to let him down easy, but it still crushed the guy. None of us treated him well, and yet, he never showed any reaction. It was like he was impervious to all of it.
Back at prom, I railed at him. I blamed him for my pain and suffering. And now, I was doing it again. He simply sat there and took it.
