Page 43 of Final Proposal

“What is?”

“Heartbreak.”

“Thanks for the brilliant observation. Can we skip to the good part where you leave?”

“Don’t be disrespectful.”

“Don’t enter a man’s apartment unannounced.”

“Ford.” He reaches his hand out to my shin and squeezes. “I’m sorry about Jennifer.”

“Yeah, well, you just said heartbreak is inevitable so—”

“Son.” He pauses for a beat. “You have this incredible ability to put yourself out there. For being you without holding back and not caring what anyone thinks. That’s admirable.”

What does that have to do with getting my heart broken? Is this another case of him just wanting to hear himself talk?

“It doesn’t feel very admirable,” I say and pull the pillow over my head.

Admirable is the last thing I feel. Hurt is first and foremost. Then disbelief followed by anger before returning right back to hurt again.

He’s silent, but his hand remains.

“She cheated on me. Cheated. After two years together . . .” The images are burned in my brain. Opening the front door to hear the unmistakable sound of moans. Following said sounds to find Jennifer straddling one of my fellow MBA classmates. Fuck.

“So your brothers told me.”

“With a classmate no less.”

“And how does that make you feel?” I cock an eyebrow at him. How does he think it made me feel? I don’t think I’ve ever heard those words come out of his mouth before. Since when is he a therapist? “I asked a question, Ford, and I expect an answer.”

“Pissed. Angry. Wanting to fuck someone random to get back at her.”

But there’s no way in hell I’d do that. Even after that. I’m not that guy. I’m far too loyal to purposely have a revenge fuck. All she had to do was break up with me for fuck’s sake. How hard would that have been?

Then again, she’s a cheater, so she’s probably too chickenshit to end things before moving on.

He purses his lips and nods. “Go ahead, but it’s not going to make you feel any better.”

“Then what will? Because it’s been days and it still fucking hurts as much now as it did when I saw it for my own eyes.”

“She doesn’t deserve you.”

“That’s supposed to help?”

“No. But it’s a fact.”

“More brilliant wisdom from the one and only.” I groan as I sit up, my head pounding and my eyes squinting. “Tell me something oh-knower-of-all-things. How exactly do you know this?”

“First, this will be the one and only time you will ever get away with speaking to me with such utter disrespect. Hurting, heartbroken, I don’t care. I taught you better than this so watch how far you push, Fordham.”

Then leave me to my own fucking peace. I fist my hands and fight back the need to be more of an asshole and take my frustration out on him.

“Two, she wasn’t the one. I could have told you that since day one.”

I snort. “Lay it on me, Dad. How exactly did you know this?”

“Because she was a matter of convenience. She looked at you as a meal ticket, and you looked at her as someone who fit the role.”