Cara blinked. “As warped as it sounds, that makes sense. She’ll know you’re open to being with someone else. That Erin’s no threat to her.”
Erin nodded. “I’ll move back home, and you’ll leave, taking all your things with you. When you’re on your own again, she’ll know you meant what you said. That gives her a chance to come to you.” Erin finished with what she thought was a flourish.
Inside, she was sick to her stomach. She might have known her time with Cole would come to an end, but she wasn’t ready now. And she had no desire to play this scene out in public. Still, it would give Cole a chance to arrest Victoria, once and for all.
Cole’s expression was as dark as she’d ever seen it. “If I go along with this, I want Cara taking over for me until Victoria’s caught. You have a full-time bodyguard or this doesn’t happen,” Cole said.
“Done.” Cara agreed immediately, not giving Erin a chance to argue. “I’ll take time off. I happen to have an in with the boss.” She smirked at that. “Not to mention that he’ll want his sister protected too.”
“But—”
Cole silenced Erin’s complaints with a glare. “If you want to play things your way, you’ll give me this.”
She clenched her teeth, wanting to scream at his bossy tone. Still, he’d granted her a concession by giving in to her plan, and she knew it. So she remained silent.
“Good.” He folded his arms across his chest, his eyes still stormy.
Cara stepped between them. “So how about this for a plan? You stay here until Wednesday night. Then, at Joe’s, you play out the breakup thing.” Her excitement grew as she described the plan. “I’ll be there for you, Erin, when you’re upset, and I’ll take you back here. Meanwhile, Cole will head on upstairs alone. If Victoria doesn’t come to Cole that night, we move you home in the morning and wait.”
Cole exhaled hard. “Yeah. Fine.”
“Erin?” Cara asked.
She tossed her hands in the air. “Fine. We wait till Wednesday.” What was two more days when all she’d been doing lately was waiting.
She wanted her life back. So if she had to live through a public breakup with Cole and humiliate herself to achieve her goal, she’d do it.
Fifteen
Wednesday arrived too soon. Cole hated what was about to go down, even if the idea, once he let himself accept it, was brilliant. Remaining in hiding and out of sight had kept Erin safe, but it did nothing to lure Victoria out. Tonight’s plan would. He didn’t blame Erin for wanting to reclaim her life, but he’d never approve of her making herself a target to do it.
Making himself one was another story.
But once their show ended, Cole’s entire life would change. He’d go back to the solitary life he hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place. So how was it that now he’d rather live with a cool-to-him Erin than move back upstairs to his small apartment over Joe’s? He’d gotten used to more space and pleasant company. Sleeping with Erin’s warm body by his side—and damn, he missed that already.
Cole shook his head in disgust. Obviously ending their arrangement before he lost more of his mind made sense after all.
He’d just stepped into the kitchen, where Erin was eating yogurt mixed with granola, having reverted back to her old eating habits. He was still cooking, but she was eating her own food, and
nothing he did or said would change her mind.
“I’m making eggs. Do you want some?”
“No thanks. I’m almost full.”
He groaned. “How long are you going to punish me for doing the right thing?”
Erin met his gaze with wide, too-innocent eyes. “I’m doing no such thing.”
“You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face. So to speak.”
She shook her head. “Because I don’t want your eggs?”
“Because you don’t want anything from me, including my company.” Had he really just said that?
A whisper of a smile crossed her lips. “Still sending those mixed messages.” She rose and cleaned up her breakfast without saying another word.
He muttered a curse. Just then, his cell rang. A glance told him he had Mike on the line. “Hey.” He turned away from Erin.