Page 139 of Love Arranged

I exhale, allowing his request to sink in. He is clearly bothered by the idea of me with someone else, yet he still won’t admit why that is.

And he never will unless you push him a little harder.

I have a clear vision of what I want, and I’m taking a gamble on if I’ve read Lorenzo correctly.

If not, my entire plan will blow up in my face and then the rest of our fake engagement will be riddled with a lot of awkward moments and sexual tension.

Only time will tell.

“No,” I say, the word sounding far stronger than I feel.

His eyes snap open. “What do you meanno?”

I pull my left hand free from his. “I’m not going to stop talking about the future I want, so if you have a problem with it, then you need to do some soul-searching as to why that’s the case.”

I fist the material of my dress so I don’t trip and spin away from him. My heels clicking against the floor punctuate my dramatic departure, matching the erratic beat of my heart.

You’re making the right call, I tell myself when Lorenzo doesn’t rush to stop me.

I wasn’t expecting him to run after me, but it still stings to know he didn’t care enough to try. He let me have the last word, and for once, I wish that wasn’t what happened.

After grabbing my clutch, I escape the ballroom and head toward the estate’s valet area, where the car service is still set up, ready to take Lorenzo home.

A driver opens the door, and I climb into the back seat of the car, my chest twisting as I reach for my seat belt.

“Where to, miss?” the driver asks after taking his spot behind the wheel.

I give him my address, and with a nod, he takes off.

If this was one of my telenovelas, Lorenzo would’ve chased after our taillights in his thousand-dollar shoes, shouting my name until I noticed and asked the driver to park the car.

But unlike my fantasy, the rearview mirror remains empty as we drive away from the estate and the man who holds my future in his hands.

35

LORENZO

As I watch the car Lily jumped into driving past the front gates of the estate, I become increasingly more panicked. Her earlier words linger in the air, and I feel like I’m suffocating from how strained my lungs feel.

I hope to meet a man who makes me forget about everyone who came before him.

It’s an insulting comment that disrupts my entire mindset. It seems like an unfair advantage for her to have, especially when I’ve spent the better part of my life mastering the art of control.

Maybe I’ll meet someone while traveling,she mentioned, tempting me to pull some strings to get her on a no-fly list. That and having her blacklisted from Maria’s cooking classes and the local running clubs. If possible, I’ll alsofind a way to have her banned from crossing county lines, that way she never finds herself meeting anyone in Lake Aurora.

Becoming twisted up inside over her discussing a hypothetical situation is a whole new level of disturbed, and my thoughts are reeling as I consider her parting statement.

I’m not going to stop talking about the future I want, so if you have a problem with it, then you need to do some soul-searching as to why that’s the case.

I slip my hand into my pocket and stroke my father’s die. Lily still has the other matching one, which further emphasizes how much I care about her.

Which is why Idohave a problem with her discussing a future where I cease to exist.

It becomes clear where my heart is at—or ratherwhohas it.

But accepting the truth? That’s a whole other issue.

I spend the short drive from the estate to my house on my phone, watching Lily’s tracking dot as it travels across town before stopping at her house. My relief is temporary, gone as soon as I walk inside my house and am reminded of Lily all over again.