“I’m sorry, Conner. I never meant—”
“It’s Levi, isn’t it.” It isn’t a question.
Swallowing thickly, I give him a single nod.
“Tell me, was it all a ruse?”
The question makes me pause, positive I’d heard him wrong.
“Was what a ruse?” I ask softly in an attempt to placate him. Tucking his hands into the front pockets of his slacks, his attention is glued to his recently shined shoes.
After a beat of silence, he presses, “Were you always with him? Was the agreement fake from the beginning? Just to get me to back out of the final position?” He tugs at the tie around his neck as though it’s strangling him. Laughing darkly, he mumbles, “Of course it was. I don’t know why I’m even bothering to ask.”
Stepping closer, I whisper, “What are you talking about, Conner?”
“Levi told me he’d set us up if I pulled my resume for the job. That was the deal. I just didn’t know it was going to be wasted on a taken woman.”
My heart is pounding in my chest as I try to register his words. “I’m sorry…what did Levi do?”
“You didn’t know?” Conner scoffs, his sadness being replaced with overwhelming sarcasm. “That’s even worse.”
“Conner, tell me.”
With a shake of his head, he releases a dry laugh like the situation is comical when all I want to do is curl into a ball.
“I told him I had a thing for you. And instead of telling me you were already taken, he used my attraction to get what he wanted. You can’t honestly tell me you weren’t in on it. Why would you say yes to a date with me when you were already dating Levi?”
“Levi and I weren’t dating.”
“Bullshit,” he spits. “Why else would you end up with him? Especially when he used you to get a job?”
My head is spinning. “What do you mean, he used me?”
“I just told you, Charlie.” He sighs as though he’s talking to a toddler. “He practically pimped you out to get ahead at Montague Enterprises. I can’t believe I fell for it.”
Stomach rolling, my mind tries to catch up. “H-he pimped me out?” I choke out.
“Yeah. And then reeled you in when he got what he wanted after I butchered my project in front of the head of the company. On purpose. For you.”
“What?” I shake my head, trying to make sense of the mess I had no idea I was part of. “Conner, why would you do that?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is Levi didn’t hold up his end of the deal. And he didn’t even have the decency to fill you in on it in the first place. Look, if you want to wind up with Levi, go for it. But you should know that he doesn’t care about you. All he cares about is winning. And it looks like he’s going to walk away the victor on both counts.”
A numbness spreads from my chest and out to my limbs. It mutes the feel of Conner’s grasp on my forearm, giving it a final squeeze before he quietly says, “Goodbye, Charlie. If you change your mind and decide you want a decent guy, let me know.”
Seconds later, I hear the same soft click of the door. Still, I flinch before collapsing onto the floor, pulling my knees into my chest, and wiping a stray tear that threatens to fall from my eyes.
I refuse to waste a single drop on an asshole like Levi McCoy.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Charlie
Resting my head on my knees, I squeeze my eyes shut and get lost in the quiet hum from the crowd outside the small room. Every once in a while, the sound is interrupted by my vibrating phone tucked away in my purse, but I ignore it and focus on the laughter, the clinking champagne glasses, and the soft jazz music playing in the main area. I don’t know how much time passes before the door squeaks softly. It’s quickly followed by a low gasp before a set of loafers pound against the ground in rhythm to my erratic heart.
“Shit, Charlie. Are you okay? What’s wrong? Did someone hurt you? Is your dad okay?” Levi peppers me with questions before squatting down next to me. His deep voice does nothing to ease the ache inside of me.
“Charlie,” he tries again and raises my chin with his finger. “Talk to me. You disappeared. I couldn’t find you. You weren’t answering your phone. I’ve been freaking out.”
“I’m fine,” I whisper, my throat raw from withheld tears.
“Bullshit. What happened? Was it Conner? So help me, I will gut that mother—”
“It wasn’t Conner,” I choke out.
The relief on his face speaks a thousand words, and if I hadn’t heard the truth from a reliable source, I’m positive I would’ve missed it.
Brushing away a few strands of hair from the side of my forehead, he murmurs, “Then what was it?”
“Can I ask you something, Levi?”
“Anything.”
“Do you remember that night? When we caught that couple making out in the back of the theater, and I was pissed at you?” I scoff before angrily wiping a tear that dared to disobey me by spilling down my cheek. “What am I saying? Of course, you remember. You brought it up last night before you slept with me.”
“I remember, Charlie.” His hands look like clumsy butterflies flapping at his side helplessly as he fights with himself about whether he should reach for me or not. After a few seconds, he surrenders and runs his fingers through his dark hair. “What about it?”
“Do you remember why I was mad that night? Why I left?”
His chiseled jaw tightens. “You said you didn’t like me taking advantage of you. That I didn’t appreciate you. And you were right. I didn’t appreciate you the way you deserved.”
“You still don’t.”
“That’s not true, Charlie—”
“Did you know I loved you? Even back then? I was jealous that you brought a girl with us to the movie. That you were kissing her instead of me. I felt cheap. I felt…,” with a dry laugh, I wave my hand in the air. “Underappreciated. Just like you said.”
Eyes shining with remorse, he cups my cheek then brushes his thumb against my lower lip. And because I’m weak, I let him. “I’m sorry, baby. I was an ass. I was stupid. I was careless. I was––”
“Are,” I correct him.
“Excuse me?”
“You said you were an ass. You were stupid. You were careless. I was just correcting your statement.”
“Charlie—”
I shake my head, my tone more venomous with each passing second. “You are an ass. You are stupid. You are careless. And you’re also the biggest regret of my entire life.” It’s the last part that nearly guts me, and I’m grateful my ass is still firmly planted on the ground. There’s no way my legs could hold me right now. I pull my knees a little closer to my chest, wishing I could disappear.
Defeated, he drops his hand to his side, but his eyes still hold mine with just as much regret and confusion as moments before. “You don’t mean that, Charlie.”
“I mean it with every fiber of my being,” I seethe, though inside, I’m breaking. “The only reason you decided you even wanted me is because you finally saw that someone else might. You’ve never been very good at sharing, remember? Apparently, I fit the bill as well as the popcorn you refuse to let anyone touch.”