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“This is definitely the behavior of someonewho is emotionally capable of walking away from a relationship,”Sarrah snarked.
“Shut up. It’s from Scott, anyway.”Disappointment rose like acid in my throat as I opened the text. Itwas a photo of a…check? A check made out for more zeroes than couldreasonably cram into the little box.
I glanced up at Sarrah. “Hang on. I have tocall my brother real quick.”
“Do you want me to leave?” She gestured tothe front door; there wasn’t anywhere one could have a private callin what was basically a studio apartment.
“No. Stay. Something’s happening.” I didn’texplain further, because the call was already connecting.
“Did you get my text?” Scott asked in lieuof a greeting.
“I did. What am I looking at?”
“I told Matt to write me a check for all ofhis money or break up with you,” Scott said flatly. “That’s thirtybillion, by the way.”
“Wait. Wait.” I pressed my fingertips to myforehead. Sarrah sat up on her knees on the couch.
I should have put the call onspeakerphone.
“He figured out why you left,” Scott wenton. “With my help, obviously, because he’s as clueless as you aresometimes. I made him write me the check, then told him I wouldcash it if he didn’t break up with you. He chose you over themoney.”
“Okay, but he could have canceled—”
“Will you—” Scott started to scold me, thenlowered his voice. “Stop it, okay? You love him. He loves you. Stopinventing reasons why you can’t commit, when it’s clear by lookingat the two of you that this is it for both of you. You’ve foundyour true loves. Be happy about it, instead of trying to sabotageit.”
I covered my mouth and moved the phone so Icould bring up the image in the text. There were a thousand holes Icould poke into this, at least. Empty gesture. Planned stuntbetween the two of them. Matt could sell property and make themoney back. Cancel the check. There was never any real risk. I hadso many options for invalidating what Scott was telling me and whatMatt had told me all along.
“Charlotte?” Scott’s voice sounded faraway.
I put the phone back to my ear. “Sorry. Thisis…a lot.”
“It’s not.You’rea lot, and it’sgetting on my nerves,” Scott snapped. “Stop trying to ruin the bestthing that’s happened to you in a long time.”
“I’m sorry, am I still talking to thebrother who didn’t want me to date Matt?” I demanded, but I knew Iwas stalling. The inevitable, horrible moment during which I wouldhave to admit that he was right was barreling down on me.
“I was wrong.” At least, he had to say itfirst. “When I spent time with the two of you, together, and I sawhow different you both were. Howhappy…Neither of you havebeen that way in a long time. Hang up with me, get your ass on thephone, and work things out before you’re both miserable and youboth make me miserable about it!”
The call disconnected.
On the bright side, I didn’t have to admitto my wrongness.
“What’s up?” Sarrah asked, folding her armson the back of the sofa as she stared me down.
“Matt… he…” I almost couldn’t believe it,now that I was saying it. “Scott gave him an ultimatum. He saidMatt had to either break up with me or give him all of hismoney.”
“And?”
I showed her the screen.
“Holy. Shit.” She chugged down the rest ofher drink in three huge gulps.
“Yeah, that’s…” My mouth went dry. “That’s alot of money.”
Gasping from lack of oxygen, Sarrah pointedout, “It’s a lot of money he was willing to lose in order to keepyou.”
The urge to argue rose once again. “I don’tthink Scott could have ca—”
“Oh my god, are you kidding me?” Sarrah shotto her feet. “What is it going to take to convince you that someoneloves you?”