“Yeah… There’s not gonna be a date.”
“What do you mean, there’s not gonna be a date?” She enunciated each word as if it had personally offended her.
“I mean I’m not doing it.” I shrugged. “I went to the auction because I told Addison I would and because I wanted to help Everly. I accomplished both of those things. Subjecting myself to a date with Ford is not something I’m interested in.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she stared at me with wide eyes. “Why the hell not?”
I blew out a laugh and shook my head. “I forget you don’t know our history. Let’s just say we don’t get along. You don’t know what it’s like when we get in the same room together.”
“What I know is that guy is fine as hell, and you just paid a pretty penny to go out with him.”
Too damn much, actually.
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t discount that we’ve been at each other’s throats since we could talk. Our entire high school career was basically one giant competition for valedictorian.”
“Oh yeah? Who won?”
I pressed my lips together, feeling the old anger bubble up just like it always did. Honestly, it had never disappeared. How could it, when the trajectory of my entire life had been altered forever because of that irritating, annoying, overgrown child of a man?
Ishouldhave won.
I should’ve been the one giving the speech and having my pick of academic scholarships to amazing colleges and universities. Instead, I’d gotten a full ride, yes, but it had been to my sixth choice, and I’d replaced my dreams of Harvard Med School with something more…accessible. Read: a lower-tiered school, but one that gave me a scholarship to attend. Because God knew my parents weren’t going to help, and I’d bookmarked the trust from my grandparents for other purposes—namely, owning my own clinic one day.
What pissed me off the most was that Ford didn’t evengoto college. He had all those opportunities at his fingertips, and he threw them away.
Worse, I’d done everythingright. I’d busted my ass with AP physics, calc, and history, while he’d skated by with creative drawing, archery, and gym. Not just skated by, but actually came out ahead by taking the easy way out. And because of how the grades were calculated, an A was an A, despite the class you received it in.
Bullshit all around. Which was why I tried not to think about it. Unfortunately, that was hard to do when I couldn’t seem to go more than twelve hours without seeing Ford in the flesh, our eyes connecting like magnets, no matter the distance we were apart.
Dr. Dicknose caught up with us then, apparently having heard the last part of our conversation, and couldn’t help but insert his opinion. “Men aren’t looking for brains, Ms. Cartwright. They want a wife who’ll defer to her husband. Who’ll have dinner ready and waiting for him when he gets home.”
I shook my head, not even bothering to slide a glance in his direction. “The sad thing is, you’re serious when you say these things.”
“Of course I’m serious. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because it’s offensive,” Alicia said.
He scoffed. “Everyone’s so sensitive nowadays. Can’t say a damn thing without hurting someone’s feelings. I’m just trying to help the poor girl out. She’s never going to find a husband if she keeps this up.”
He said the words as if my not finding a husband was the worst possible outcome in life. I barely restrained my bark of laughter. In my experience, there were two types of men: the kind who couldn’t handle a woman more intelligent and more successful than them, and the kind who felt those women were a challenge they needed to conquer.
I was interested in neither.
Alicia stopped dead in her tracks and turned her attention on Dr. Dicknose. “Did you turn on the alarm?”
“Yes,” he answered without pause.
“Are you sure? I didn’t hear the chirp.”
“I…” He scratched the side of his head, his brow furrowed. Blowing out a sigh, he spun on his heel and headed toward the front door.
As soon as he stalked off, she turned to me with an eye roll. “Anyway, so you and Ford don’t get along. That doesn’t have to affectotherthings. All that aggression is some good fuel, if you know what I mean.” She elbowed me in the side. “And he definitely isn’t hard to look at.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You’re relentless, but I promise you, this is for the best. He’s gorgeous. I get it. It’s still a no from me.”
“But…”
“Seriously. It’s better for both of us that I just write off what I paid and know I helped a friend in need. And now, we will all move on without the scarring that would inevitably take place should he and I have to spend any amount of time in the same vicinity.”
