Page 105 of Mr. Hotshot CEO

I run a hand through my hair. “She claimed she understood, but then she said we couldn’t be together anymore, and we had a fight...”

“About what? Not about me, I hope.”

“No.” I want to talk to someone about Courtney’s depression, but it’s her story to tell, and she hasn’t given me permission to talk to other people about it. I settle on being vague. “She has some...issues. I’m not comfortable sharing the details. There are treatments available, but she’s tried many of them, and they haven’t worked. So she believes she’s stuck with this problem. I said I couldn’t bear to see her suffer, and surely we would be able to find something, since money isn’t a barrier for me...”

Cedric snorts. “Yeah. We know.”

“...and she said I didn’t understand how exhausting it was to keep trying things and having them fail.” I scrub my hands over my face.

“Not everyone wants you to fix their problems.”

“I really want to fix her problem. It hurts her so much.”

“What doesshewant from you?” Vince asks.

“Support and compassion.”

“Surely you can give her those, no? You don’t need to go into every situation with a hammer and a drill. Although drilling is—”

“Shut up,” I say, a little too forcefully, but Vince just shrugs. “Her ex dumped her when she was at her worst, and so she thinks it’s too much to expect someone to put up with her when she’s unwell. She doesn’t believe she can have a relationship.”

“Tell her you love her,” Cedric say. “I hear that’s the solution to a lot of problems with women. Not that I know from personal experience, but I read it in a book once.”

“I already did that. Though I may have been angry at the time.”

It suddenly strikes me as comical that my brothers are trying to help me with this. Neither of them knows anything about relationships, despite being in their thirties. I doubt we’ll make any progress here. I’d rather go back to drinking my old man beer in peace, then perhaps have another nap.

“So you do love her,” Vince says. “I suspected as much. You made a point of introducing her to Cedric, after all.”

“And she knowsyoubecause I didn’t have a choice in the matter,” I grumble. “You barged in at eight o’clock in the morning after your orgy.”

“She kept you away from the office for two weeks. I didn’t think it was possible, but she did it. You even had fun. She’s a miracle worker.”

“Yes, she is.”

“And you want to be there for her in sickness and in health.”

“Yes.”

“So you want to get married.”

Do I?

I don’t have to think too hard. I know the answer.

“Eventually,” I say, “but that seems unlikely, considering she dumped me.”

“If she’s the woman you want to marry,” Vince says, “you shouldn’t give up because you had one argument.”

“She was very clear on the matter.”

“Because she doesn’t believe you can give her this support and compassion stuff, since her ex fucked with her head. So all you have to do is show her that you’re good for it.”

“Thanks, genius.”

“You’re not taking me seriously. I mean it. You show her that you’re a compassionate, supportive guy who won’t bail when times get tough. Which is the truth.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Do you actually believe that?”