Money Man (King Maker 1)

They did. Turner being my first love.

Lizzy set her mug down on the coffee table, folded herself in the chair like a pretzel, and changed the subject.

“Did Matty meet Kalen? I assume that’s who you were with when I came home earlier.”

“How do you do that?” I asked. I was getting off topic, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Lots of yoga and don’t dodge. Did they face-off?” Her gray eyes penetrated me like she was reading my soul.

“No. And yes Kalen was here,” I said with both a smile and a grimace. In all likelihood, I would never see Kalen again.

She looked thoughtful, like she was trying to put something together in her head. “Go on, tell me what happened because I can tell something did.”

“We had a fight.” I drank the rest of my coffee. I didn’t want to blame her for what happened, but I knew once I told her, she was going to feel really bad.

“Because of me?”

“Not exactly.” It was the truth.

“But I mentioned Matt.”

I nodded.

“I’m sorry, Bails.”

“It’s okay. You couldn’t have guessed.”

“Matt told me he was going to talk to you. I assumed you two came to your senses and were having excellent monkey sex.”

“Monkey sex?” I asked, eyebrow arched.

She twisted her mouth instead of saying sure, long and exaggeratedly.

“You were having monkey sex. Just not with Matty?” she asked.

I sighed and told her the story. All of it.

“Man, I’m jealous,” she said wistfully. I tossed a throw pillow at her. She giggled and then sobered quickly. “I know this was my fault, but I can’t help but say you can’t blame him.”

Groaning, I said, “I know. But it pisses me off that he didn’t even give me a chance to explain. He just judged me and walked out.” I looked up at the ceiling, hoping I wouldn’t cry.

“Is this pride, or do you really like him?” she asked.

Thinking about it for a second, I said, “Both.”

Nodding, she added, “I think he’ll be back.”

And just like that, my phone chimed from inside my purse. Lizzy smirked like she was psychic and said, “Speak of the devil.”

Eighteen

Scott’s name flashed on my screen and I hesitated. When I reminded myself he was my current supervisor, I answered.

“Hello,” I said.

“Bailey,” he slurred.

“Why are you calling?” I asked, holding on to patience as best I could.

“You can keep the ring and come back to me. You might not be the best lay, but you would be a good mother to our children.”

I probably should have hung up. Instead, I stated the obvious. “You’re drunk.”

“Maybe. I miss you,” he said.

I reflected on my own feelings and found only disgust.

“Please don’t—”

Before I could tell him to delete me out of his contacts, he cut me off.

“I miss your cooking and, damn, if you didn’t keep a clean house. You’d make the perfect wife. Sex isn’t everything. Maybe we could come to an arrangement.”

Old insecurities tried to creep up as I remembered his little comments here and there that had made me feel as though I wasn’t good enough for him. That he’d been doing a favor by being with me. That idea had held me in a relationship that hadn’t brought me happiness.

“There’s no we, Scott,” I said with distinct mockery. “It’s over. Don’t call me again.”

I hung up and let out a quick exhale of breath.

Lizzy’s eyebrows rose as if she’d overheard Scott’s drunken ramble.

“What an asshole,” she muttered.

I stood, reminded that maybe if I gave him that damn ring back, he’d stop bothering me and keep things professional.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“To find his ring.”

“You don’t have to give it back. He broke the engagement.”

That wasn’t exactly true. “No, he broke my heart. I broke the engagement.”

It wasn’t like I had much in the way of jewelry. Most of which Scott had given me over the course of our relationship. I considered handing all of it over. I didn’t need the reminder.

I found the ring in the small jewelry box underneath everything. It was a simple diamond, not too big and not too small. I remembered how he made a point to show everyone we encountered, making me feel uncomfortable. But that was Scott. Status was important to him. Based on our phone conversation, he’d practically admitted it himself. I was just another object in the life he wanted. How could I have been so stupid?

Lizzy found me staring at it. I looked up as she leaned on the door jam.

“I was never impressed with it,” she said.

I closed a fist around it.

“That’s because it’s simple.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “It wasn’t like he put a lot of thought in it. He bought a ring he thought you should have and not what you might have wanted.”

That was true. “Now he can give it to his new fiancée.”

“And you can screw your brains out with the hot Scot.”