Page 122 of Bossy Wicked Prince

The energy in here is downright suffocating.

The elevator opens immediately

The doors slide shut, and she’s gone.

No. Fuck, I can’t let this happen. I can’t let her go without at leasttryingto apologize again.

I push to my feet and tear toward the stairwell. If I move fast enough, I can still catch her before she leaves.

“Hey, the game’s still going!” Ryan yells behind me.

I don’t bother answering. They can have my fucking money.

I take the stairs three at a time. I have no idea what I’m going to say when I catch her. It’s only been a week—will she even be ready to hear another apology? She’d have every right to tell me to fuck off and leave her alone.

But that can’t be the last time I see her. We can’t leave it like this.

My muscles burn as I take the last staircase and shove through the heavy door that opens into the building lobby. Cat’s standing just outside the elevator, and relief rushes through me. I’m not too late—she’s still here.

Her face is still pale and tear-stained, but she brightens when the front doors open. Pippa rushes in and pulls Cat into a tight hug. Judging by her sweatpants and her giant hoodie, Pippa came straight from her couch to pick up her friend.

“Cat, wait,” I call, jogging up to them.

When she hears my voice, Pippa turns to me and I practically see steam coming out of her ears.

“No!” she snaps. “You, get out of here. She doesn’t want to see you.”

I ignore her—she’s not the person I need to listen to me. “Please, Cat. I’m sorry, I know I fucked up?—”

“Cat doesn’t need apologies. She needs you to leave her the fuck alone!” Pippa turns to Cat. “The Uber’s waiting outside. Go. I’ll deal with him.”

Cat’s eyes meet mine, and for a moment we just stare at each other like we want to spend forever drinking each other in. For a second, my chest fills with a bubble of hope.

It pops when she lowers her head and walks away.

Pippa crosses her arms and glares at me, and I remember a hundred other times she glared at us as teenagers who wouldn’t let her join our poker games in Ryan’s Dad’s basement. But this time, it’s justified. I deserve it. “Go back to your stupid apartment. You’re done here.”

I shake my head. I’ve hardly said two words to Pippa in all the years I’ve known her, but maybe if I can get her to understand…

“I can’t just let her walk away, Pippa. I can’t lose her like this.”

“That’s too goddamn bad, Nate. Cat’s the best person in the whole fucking world. So no, you don’t get to be the victim now that you’ve lost her.”

I hang my head. “I know. I ruined it. I fucking ruined everything. I should’ve just told her. I should’ve told her I was keeping an eye on her. About her Dad.God, I know I fucked up, but I care about her. I…I love her.”

Pippa stares at me, blinking, and I realize I might’ve just shared something with Pippa that Cat hadn’t even told her. Maybe she wasn’t ready to tell her best friend what I found out about her Dad and I just fucked up, yet again.

Fuckingidiot.

“Do you even know what that word means?” Pippa asks after a moment, her tone deadly calm.

My answer gets stuck in my throat.

I know now. I know because Cat taught me.

Cat showed me over and over what it means to love someone. To give unconditionally, not just money but time and affection. To open up and bare your soul to another person.

Meanwhile, I tried to control her. I followed her, bought her apartment building, figured out how to make her work for me. I manipulated her into spending time with me, because that’s what Walshes always do. We take what we want, and if that hurtssomeone else, then that’s too fucking bad. I should have taught myself to do better.