A Billionaire With Benefits

“You heard me right. I’m not your plaything anymore.”

“You were never my plaything,” he replied. “I never thought of you as a toy.”

“Then why did you do that to me?” she asked without flinching. Yes, why would you? Why would you break my heart into a thousand pieces?

Justin flinched when she asked that. Why did he? He had rehearsed this in his head. The reasons were ready to be spilled out. What were those again? He closed his eyes, trying to find the right words to say.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I meant it, but I didn’t mean it.”

“Make up your mind,” she snapped at him. “You’re at it again, see? You make people feel like crap because you want to feel high and mighty. “

“It’s true, my ego—”

“Is a hot air balloon,” she finished for him. “You’re the most selfish person I’ve ever met, I’m saying this again in case you forgot. You’re egotistical, you’re an asshole, and you don’t deserve the love and respect that you think you deserve.”

That actually hurt, he thought. Women had said that to him before, but hearing Mikaela say that stung. He wasn’t prepared for that.

“I know I don’t deserve to be heard anymore, but please, just give me a chance.”

“If you begged for this a few days ago, I would have.”

“I had to think!”

“And you think I didn’t have to think? I had to think for myself, I had to think about my survival. I had to think about my future after you cut the contract short, all for another woman.”

“I thought about your future too. You couldn’t have resigned without thinking it over--”— “

“Why? You think I can’t get a job somewhere else? You think I’m dead without your money? I survived long enough without you and I can survive again without you.”

“Where were you supposed to go?”

“Santa Monica, it’s not far enough away from you, but I got the scholarship.”

He was quiet for a moment. He knew she would get that scholarship.

“Take back your money. I don’t want to be a part of it. I may need money, but I won’t get it from you.”

“No, I want you to keep it. I violated the contract, whether it was implied or not.”

“Oh, implied? It was hell of implied, with your hand on her ass!”

“I didn’t mean for it to end that way, but I was afraid—”

“Afraid of what, Justin? Afraid of losing your hard-earned money to someone like me? Afraid of losing your credible reputation as a playboy?”

“Afraid of falling in too deep with you,” he interrupted her. “That was what I was afraid of. I didn’t think this would happen. That contract was made to protect us both.”

“It hasn’t protected me,” she cried out. “All it did was make me feel so bad, even if I deserved a shot at happiness. And I can’t believe I imagined that with you.” Her face reddened and that was when Justin knew it was the truth.

“For the record, it hasn’t been easy, adjusting to your every whim. You think I was as crazy for the sex as you were? I did it for my future. And you know what makes me feel so bad? I felt like a whore, desperate to make ends meet—”

“I wanted to help you,” he exploded. “I wanted you to finish college, I wanted to see you achieve your dreams. The moment we talked at the party, I knew there was something different about you.”

“Why? ‘Cause I was the most gullible person in the room?”

“I thought I saw the most beautiful person I had ever seen,” he said. “I saw you, standing there alone, pretending you were waiting for someone. I suppose you were waiting for me and you didn’t know it yet. I didn’t either.”

“Don’t turn this into something romantic,” she said bitterly. “I know where this is going. You think you’re so frickin’ charming—”