The Billionaire's Deal: The Complete Story: An Alpha Billionaire Romance (25 page)

"You sure?"

"Yeah, totally." She pulls the door open. “About the other day... I know I should have—"

"It's okay. I understand."

I follow her out the door.

***

Wow. This is a damn nice restaurant. The walls and tables are black. The only lighting is from candles and there are red roses everywhere. There's something so romantic about it. The perfect place for a date really.

I envision it as a panel. It's a hell of a background. Great for the happy moment where the couple falls in love or the miserable one where everything falls apart.

A lump rises in my throat, but I manage to dodge it. Not going there. Only six days to go. Six days and I'll be married.

Holy crap.

The hostess takes us to a private room in the back of the restaurant. Blake and Meryl are sitting at the table. She's nursing a glass of wine. He's sipping a whiskey.

They turn to us.

Meryl nods. "Great to see you, sweetie. Is this your sister?"

"Lizzy." She leans in to shake.

"You're darling." Meryl elbows Blake.

"Nice to see you again," he says.

My sister’s cheeks flush red. "You too. I spent another few hours testing the Sterling Chat bot."

"You're more interested than I am," he says.

"Did you really program it all by yourself? I go into that room where you can play a game." She turns to me. "You have to guess if you're talking to a human or a chat bot, and the other person does the same."

"What if the other person is a chat bot?" I ask.

"Then it guesses. Sometimes it's two bots talking to each other. You can read the logs of that." Her eyes go wide. "It's so cool."

"Thank you," Blake says. "I did."

"His idea of fun, I think," I say.

Meryl clutches her seat. There's something awful on her face, like she's fighting a pain. Blake leans closer, trying to check on her, but she waves him away.

A server interrupts us. "What would you like to drink?"

"Gin and tonic." I shoot Lizzy a
don't get any ideas
look.

"Diet coke with a maraschino cherry."

Meryl clears her throat. She smiles wide, masking her pain. "Lizzy, I heard you're going to school next year. Is that true?"

Lizzy takes a seat. She plays with her dress. The same thing I do. A Wilder family tradition I guess. She nods.

"Well, sweetheart, do tell. Have you decided?"

"Stanford."

My ears must be ringing. There's no way she's going to Stanford after I fought so hard to keep her in New York City. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Kat. I should have told you sooner. But I already enrolled. Yesterday actually." She bites her lip. "I have a full scholarship."

"That's great sweetheart," Meryl says. "Lovely campus. And California, well, it's not my taste, but the weather is lovely."

"Stanford grads do great in Silicon Valley." Blake takes a long sip of his drink. His eyes pass over Meryl.

There's something in his expression. He's worried.

God, if Blake's worried, it must be bad. Or it could be I've somehow cracked the code to his expression. I look closer. No, that can't be it. The man is still a mystery. A beautiful mystery who makes me come so hard I scream. But a mystery none-the-less.

"I'll miss you," I say.

"Blake, honey, I hope you'll keep your wife too busy to miss her sister." Meryl lets out a light laugh and turns to me. "And aren't you looking at schools?"

"I won't start until the spring semester." I tug at the fabric of my dress. Same thing Lizzy was doing. "Most of them are in the north east." None are anywhere near Stanford.

Meryl smiles at Lizzy. "At least you'll get the apartment to yourself for a few months."

"Oh, you're moving in with Blake?" Lizzy asks.

"After the honeymoon." He looks at me with love in his eyes. The pretend kind. "We can pick out furniture tomorrow if you'd like."

Meryl shakes her head. "Please, my son has never picked out a piece of furniture. He has a decorator."

"Oh yeah?" I ask.

"You better take the reins, honey. His apart and his office are so terribly utilitarian. Who can live like that?" Meryl asks.

"Where are you going?" Lizzy asks.

"Paris," Blake says.

Right. Paris. I knew that. I nod like it was my decision. It won't be so bad, fucking Blake in the city of romance. Won't be bad at all.

Something in Meryl's expression changes. More serious. "I'm glad you two..."

"Mom?"

"You seem very happy. I never thought..." She stares at her wine glass. "I never thought Blake would find something real."

Real. Right. I smile my biggest smile. A look of dread creeps on Lizzy's face.

The server arrives with our drinks. Thank God for the distraction. Lizzy buries her face in her diet coke. I've never seen anyone drink anything that fast.

Meryl studies me the way Blake does, picking apart my intentions. I try to keep my attention on my gin and tonic, but it isn't working. Lizzy is flying across the country. I'm lying for a dying woman who wants something real. Or maybe I'm doing it for myself. For my payday.

A loud
hello
interrupts my train of though. Fiona arrives. Alone. She hugs Meryl and Blake hello. Fiona introduces herself to Lizzy with a handshake.

"You okay, Mom?" Fiona asks.

Meryl fights an eye roll. "Fine."

Thing is, Meryl doesn't look fine. Her skin has a slight yellow sheen. She's sweating and grimacing like she's in pain.

"Are you sure?" Fiona asks.

"I'd like to have one dinner that isn't about my condition. We're celebrating your brother's wedding."

"Of course." Fiona taps my shoulder. "I'm going to use the restroom. Join me, Kat?"

She isn't really asking. It's some kind of threat. I make eye contact with Blake. He nods
okay
. But does that mean
okay, ignore her
or
okay, go with her?
We're far from mastering telepathy.

"Sure." I push out of my chair. Better we talk now than at the wedding.

I follow Fiona to the restroom. It's a nice size, three stalls and a wide mirror. No one else is here. Of course, that didn't stop her last time.

"Is there any way I can convince you to reconsider?" Her voice is even, like it's a business decision.

"No."

"I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds the other day." She looks in the mirror and adjusts her hair. "But, I want to make the case one more time. If you're not really in love, don't do this. Money seems nice, but it's nothing compared to affection. He'll grow to hate you."

"Did you ever consider that he's the one using me?"

She narrows her eyes. "You're going to make a fool out of him."

"I'm not."

She shakes her head. "I suppose it's too late. Another Sterling marriage to go to shit."

"Maybe, but not because of me."

"He asked you to sign a prenup. It can't be that much money."

"I don't care about the money. I love him."

"Spare me."

I clench my fists. "I love him. I love him in a way I've never loved anyone."

The second the words are out of my mouth, I know they're true. I love Blake. I'm madly, crazy in love with him.

My stomach flip-flops.

I'm madly in love with him, and the best he'll ever be able to muster is
I care about you.

"Save it for my mother." She heads for the door. "I don't want her dying wondering why my brother is bullshitting her."

A tear rolls down my eye. "It's not about her. I love Blake. I'm in love with Blake."

My knees buckle.

Oh, God.

Talk about fucking things up.

I grab onto the counter to stay upright.

The bathroom door opens. Lizzy. Her face is the picture of concern. "Blake's mom collapsed."

Fiona goes white. "Is she okay?"

"They're calling an ambulance." Lizzy shakes. "We should. Kat? What do we do?"

Fiona rushes out of the bathroom.

I take a deep breath. "We follow the ambulance."

Chapter Twenty

Meryl is already on her way to the ambulance. Blake is with her. Fiona rushes after them, muttering something about taking Blake's car to the nearest hospital.

I take control of the situation. I know how to stay calm under pressure. I can handle this. I pay with Blake's credit card. Now, we need to get to the hospital. I grab Lizzy and make my way out front.

Jordan is already here. He helps us into the limo and shuts the door behind us.

Lizzy squeezes my hand. I squeeze back, trying to will my thoughts to stay in straight lines.

"I'm sorry about Stanford. I should have told you."

"It's okay. That doesn't matter." I play with my purse. Stare at my phone for a possible update from Blake. God, what if she dies in the ambulance? What a sorry way to go. "None of this matters anymore."

"She's dying, isn't she?" Lizzy asks. "Even if she survives today... Isn't that what you said, Kat?"

"Last I heard it was three months."

At best. And that was a month ago.

Two months. Usually, that's nothing. It's a blip. But, God, I want those two more months for her. She deserves more time.

And she deserves the truth.

***

The E.R. is an awful, stale room. Fiona paces in circles, her heels clicking hard against the tile. Blake stands in front of a chair. He has that same stoic look on his face.

He wraps his arms around me. "She should be okay."

A sob rises in my throat. No holding back now. I wrap my arms around him and I cry. I cry until there's nothing left inside me.

I can barely feel my fingers or toes. This can't happen. Not yet. Meryl can't die yet.

Lizzy takes me to get a soda. "You okay?"

I shake my head. "It feels like last time. Not as bad, but the same kinda thing." The ER is around the corner and no sound bleeds into the hallway. It's dead silent in there. "I lost almost everything that day."

My sister hugs me. "I don't want to fight. You're my best friend. Always. And whatever happens with Blake, I support you. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"Love you, too." I hug her more tightly. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"You can visit anytime."

"I will." I release Lizzy and turn my attention to the vending machine. I'm not big on soda. Too sweet. And I don't need the caffeine. I'm wide awake. Already on edge. "You should go home. You have school."

"It's Saturday."

"Still," I say. "Go home. Sleep. Study. I might be here a while."

Her brow furrows. She looks at me closely. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Tell you what—I'll stay another ten minutes. If you still want me to leave, I will."

I nod. It is nice having Lizzy around. She is my best friend, too. My only friend, really.

We move back to the ER. A doctor is talking to Blake and Fiona. He holds strong. She's trembling. The doctor says something and Fiona jumps for joy. Her face floods with relief.

We move closer, so we can hear their conversation.

"She's okay." Fiona sighs. "She's okay."

The doctor nods. "She's sedated. You can visit in the morning."

He leans in and whispers something. All that relief is replaced with dread. Fiona digs her heel into the floor.

"Can we see her?" she asks no one in particular.

He nods, whispers some directions, and turns back to the hallway.

Fiona moves down the hallway. I look to Blake. He nods and we follow them.

We stop outside a small hospital room. There's a window looking in on Meryl. She's hooked up to a heart rate monitor. Those same blips I saw on Lizzy's way back when.

My legs go weak. I clutch Blake's arm, but it's not enough. Shit. I fall flat on my ass. Making a fool of myself in front of him again. Hardly matters at this point.

He helps me to my feet and carries me to a bench. It's pressed against the wall of a long, depressing hallway. We're out of earshot. May as well be on another planet for all the good we can do.

He brushes the hair from my eyes. A calm fills me. He's still damn soothing. Of course he is. That's what happens when you love someone. They do this kind of thing to you.

"I'll make sure you get your money," he says. "Even if she dies before the wedding."

"I don't care about the money."

He nods. "We need to move this up again. Do it here, tomorrow, at the chapel. Your dress should be ready. Ashleigh can call the tailor. I'll offer him double to get it done overnight."

I take an easy breath. Inhale. Exhale. There's such a desperation in Blake's eyes. He needs control over this. He needs to go through with this lie.

But I can't be a part of it anymore.

"No," I say.

"Kat, please."

"I'm sorry." A tear rolls down my cheek. Meryl is going to die and there's nothing I can do to save her. There was nothing I could do with my parents. Somehow, we have to live with it, brush ourselves off, even though it hurts so fucking bad.

"Kat. Think about what you're saying."

"Your mother is a sweet woman. I can't lie to her."

"It will make her happy."

"It won't. She'll see through it." I wipe my eyes dry and hold Blake's gaze. Only one thing to do now. I press my lips into his. A quick kiss. "Goodbye." I push myself off the bench. "I'll visit her in the morning."

"Kat. You can't. It's five million dollars."

I shake my head. "I'll do what I can to pay you back for the apartment. Something. I promise."

"It's only one day. You're being illogical."

"I'm sorry." I pull the ring off my finger and press it into his palm. I take a step towards the exit. Steady now. No more falling at his feet.

"I'll change your mind."

"There's only one way you can change my mind, Blake."

And it's never going to happen.

He's never going to fall in love with me.

To Be Continued...

Episode Four

Chapter Twenty-One

Room 302. A windowless room in the middle of the hallway. Hospitals are always depressing, but this takes the cake. There's no life in this room. That's a horrible place to be dying.