I wondered what he would do if I told him something completely different than what I had intended. For the briefest moment, I let myself imagine a scenario where I confessed my true feelings. How would he react? Would he take me in his arms and kiss me again, admitting he’d always secretly felt the same? Ha. More likely he’d open the car door and roll out onto the street rather than be alone with me and my pathetic emotions. I’d probably never hear from him again.
Still, I desperately hoped for option number one. The fantasy was so alive and vivid in my mind that I couldn’t quite come out and say what I wanted to say.
Instead, I danced around it. “You’re my best friend,” I told him. “You know that, right?”
“Sure. Why? What’s going on?” Ford asked, his eyes searching mine.
I took a deep breath, trying to stay focused. “Am I…yourbest friend?”
I didn’t know exactly what I was hoping for, or what I was expecting him to say. But his shoulders relaxed and that classic dimpled Ford grin spread across his lips, filling me with warmth as he said, “Of course.” Then he laughed. “I haveallthe friend feelings for you. I love you as much as I’d love a sibling. If I had one. I’m sure of it.”
Ugh. Just like that, the warmth I’d felt was gone. I was instantly deflated, my childish fantasy of him taking me into his arms fading completely.
It was time to end this now, before it went any further. It wasn’t fair. To him, or to me.
Glancing out the window, I tried to steel myself. Gather my strength and willpower.
“Look,” I told him. “I’ve done as much as I can, but I can’t go along with this anymore. It’s too much lying, and at this point, I’ve had enough lies to last a lifetime. You know?”
I watched his face, trying to gauge his reaction.
If anything, Ford should be able to understand exactly what I meant. After all, he was the one who’d gotten me through all the stress of finding out my dad had been using KZ Modeling as a cover for his sex trafficking ring. He knew what the stress had done to me, what the lies had cost my family. What it had cost me. And it was no secret that I still wasn’t over the whole thing.
“I get what you’re saying,” he said softly.
“Good. Because I need to be honest with my family,” I said. “And you need to be honest with yours. Just remind them that your personal life is your business, and say you need some time to yourself.” He was nodding as I spoke, which was encouraging. I took a deep breath. “I think it’s time to break up.”
He stopped nodding and looked out the window, not saying anything for a moment.
“Things were going so well,” he finally murmured.
“For you, yes,” I said, trying not to sound accusatory. “This isn’t great for me, though.”
That seemed to get through to him. “You sure about this?” he said.
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
“Okay. You’re right. It’s time.”
It broke my heart a little that he didn’t push more, but I knew I’d made the right choice. In fact, the way he was willing to let me go so soon and so easily was proof enough that our faux relationship would have only led to harder heartbreak for me.
“Would it be okay if we told everyone at the Investment Ball this weekend?” he asked, turning those pleading eyes on me. “You’re still planning to go to that, right?”
“Of course I’ll be there,” I said. “I can wait until then.”
I’d already promised to go, and I wasn’t the kind of person who broke my promises. Besides, Ford and I were still friends. Even if we hadn’t been fake dating, I would have been attending as his plus-one now that Claudia was permanently out of the picture.
Letting out a long breath, I tried to shake off the tension I’d been carrying around all week. Finally, things could go back to normal between us. But mixed with the relief was a heavy dose of disappointment.
This was the most time that Ford and I had spent together in forever, and even though it was all because of his ruse, I could admit there were parts of it that I had enjoyed.
Like the kisses.
No. I had to push those memories out of my head, banish them for good. The whole point of ending this was so I could get over my crush on Ford, not tend it like a sacred flame. I needed to go back to my original plan—put myself out there, start dating for real, and see if I could find a compatible someone who had their shit together and actually wanted to be with me.
We pulled up to my building, where Ford’s driver was already waiting.
“Looks like your ride’s here,” I told him, reaching for the door handle. “See you.”
