Page 31 of Arranged Addiction

“You’re using it to get what you want.”

“I’m making you an offer.”

“Is that really how you want to propose to me?!” I stare at him, seething and barely keeping myself under control. “You’re using my friend’s murder to make me throw myself at you.”

His face twitches. It’s the first hint of something lurking underneath that frigid exterior. “That’s not my intention.”

“But it’s what you’re doing. I have to marry you if I want you to protect me? Like my life is only worth something if I give myself to you?!”

His lips tilt downward. “That’s how it works in my world.”

“Then screw your world. And screw you too.”

“Casey,” Sheila says calmly, but there’s a warning in her voice. “You should sit back down.”

“He’s blackmailing me. You get that, don’t you? Either marry him or… or…” The image of Natalie stabbed in the chest, her body limp and stiff, her blood splashed all across her room. I have to shake my head. “Marry him or die.”

“I’m making you a reasonable offer.”

“Screw your offer.” I shove past him and storm to the door.

He follows at a distance. “You won’t last with Senesi hunting you. I’m your only hope.”

“I don’t want your kind of hope. Your hope is poison.” I yank his apartment door open and step into the hall.

He doesn’t try to follow me. “You’re making a mistake.”

“At least nobody’s forcing me to make it.”

I walk off, aware of him staring at my back as I go, my head a mess of Natalie’s corpse and his lips on my breasts and Sheila’s insane story all mixing and mingling in my head like some horrible nightmare.

At least it’sa nice day out.

There are a few young kids on the playground nearby. A few young people go jogging past. I guess working from home means they can exercise in the afternoons. That’s a nice little perk. I never got to do the WFH thing, not with Boss Bastard keeping me on a tight leash.

I sink further into myself, my hands shoved in my pockets. I look up at the trees. This is one of my favorite parks. The last time I was here, I sat on this bench with Natalie and we drank coffees from this crazy overpriced Turkish place nearby. We talked about nothing really, mostly complained about work. That was only a couple weeks back.

If I had known it would be the last time we’d sit here together, I would’ve said more.

I would’ve told her how much I loved her. How much she meant to me.

She was my best friend in the world.

And now what am I going to do without her?

There’s this enormous hole in the world. All her potential is missing. All the things she could have been. The family shemight’ve made. Children, grandchildren, generations of her, all snuffed out.

A lifetime of friendship now totally gone.

I don’t say anything when he sits on the bench beside me. Declan spreads his knees, taking up more space than he should, but we don’t touch. He stays at his end and I stay at mine.

I know what Natalie would’ve said if she were here.

Are you insane?! You can’t marry Boss Bastard! Working for him is bad enough!Then she would’ve sipped her drink and grinned at me.But he really is hot though, right? You could probably do worse…

That’s her in a nutshell. Practical but totally unable to avoid a good joke. And a total sucker for a beautiful man.

Just like me, apparently.