“Girl, you are crazy in the head!” Kara took a bite of her cream-cheese-covered bagel and chewed with the same vigor she used in her speech. “You’ve been dating for two months and you still won’t let that gorgeous guy kiss you for longer than five minutes?”
“It’s not like I see him every day.”
“You hang out with him all day on the weekends, and you have dinner together three nights a week.” Kara lifted a brow in a classic you’re-not-fooling-me expression. “Why are you so rigid about this stuff? If you’re not careful, he’s going to dump you.”
“I’m kind of hoping he will, so I don’t have to do it.” Ellery picked at the peeling polish on her fingernails.
“Now I know you’re crazy. Why do you want to break up with him?” She put her bagel down to tick off her points on her fingers. “He’s rich. He’s smart. He’s hot. He treats you like a queen. And good grief, when he watched you walk across that stage, he cheered loud enough to burst my eardrums.”
“Don’t you think I know all that? That’s the reason we need to break up.” Ellery pressed a hand against her chest to soothe the growing ache. “If I don’t stop seeing him, I’m going to fall for him.”
She was lying to herself. In her heart, she knew she’d already fallen. But if she didn’t admit it out loud, it might not hurt as much when it ended.
“What would be so bad about falling for him? Seems like the guy has already fallen for you.” Kara carried her plate to the kitchen counter and turned around to lean against it. “Why not see where it goes?”
“Because I saw the girl he was in love with before, and she was so perfect she looked Photoshopped. And I’m… you know.” Ellery waved her hand up and down her right side.
“Obviously, he’s not being an idiot, like you are. He thinks you’re beautiful just as you are, inside and out.” Kara folded her arms. “I thought, between me and your therapist, we’d stopped you from tearing yourself down about those stupid scars.”
“He only likes me because he thinks he ought to. Because he thinks I’m some kind of perfect human being. It’s like he’s using me to teach himself the outer appearance doesn’t matter.”
“It shouldn’t matter. And you are an amazing person.”
“Yes, but someday he’ll tire of being altruistic with his love life. He could have any woman he wanted. Once he realizes that, he’ll be trying to let me down gently. Ughh! I won’t be able to stand it.”
“Or maybe he’s a great guy who’s really attracted to a great girl?”
“You’re too biased. I can’t listen to you.”
“As if you ever listened to me.”
“I do. On rare occasions. Usually coinciding with a solar eclipse.”
“Exactly. But I keep giving you good advice, whether you take it or not.” She made her classic I’m-so-mistreated face. “All my wise words wasted. Discarded. Thrown to the birds.”
In dramatic fashion, Kara mimed tossing something aside, coaxing a begrudging chuckle from Ellery.
“And he makes you laugh, like I do,” Kara added. “You need someone in your life to keep you from being so serious all the time.”
“Fine. I admit he’s good for me. But I’m not what Logan needs. Even if I didn’t have the scars.”
“You’re great for him.” Kara’s hands slid to her hips. “You’ve brought him out of his shell.”
“I’ve got him going out to eat about once a week. That’s hardly what I’d call out of his shell.”
“You got him through the wedding.”
“Yes, but I hated it. And now he’s invited me to another event. Some kind of big banquet meeting with a bunch of the top people at Phantom Enterprises. Logan says he’s supposed to bring a date. Ughh! You know how I despise all those social things, and he’ll have to do them all the time.”
It was more than her appearance that made Ellery hesitant to go to the banquet with Logan. She worried that all the Phantom employees would be computer geniuses, and she’d feel ignorant around them. In addition to his looks, Logan’s money, social status, and intelligence were completely out of her league. He hadn’t realized it yet, but it was bound to happen. Ellery was simply preparing her heart for the inevitable.
“Just tell him you don’t feel comfortable. No one’s making you go.”
“I can’t tell him no.” Ellery sighed, sagging in defeat. “He hates social events even worse than I do. You should’ve seen how excited he was that he didn’t have to go alone.”
“There you go. You both hate social stuff. Perfect match.”
“It’s not good to have the same weaknesses. Allegra would’ve been great at this sort of stuff.”
“Why keep comparing yourself to a woman who isn’t even in the picture?”
“Because deep in my heart, I know I’m his second choice.”
“Do you really believe that?” Kara squinted, tapping a sock-clad foot on the tile floor. “Be honest. I’ll know if you’re lying.”
“The truth is I don’t know. But it’s a very real possibility he secretly wishes he was with Allegra. That’s why I have to remind myself we’re only friends.”
“Only friends.” Kara repeated her words with a huge helping of sarcasm. “Friends who have toe-curling, five-minute-long kisses.”
“Yes, but only once a day.”
Kara’s eyes aimed at the ceiling as she let out a long-suffering sigh. “Never mind your warped perception of this relationship. Tell me about this event he invited you to.”
“It’s in New York, which is good. At least we don’t have to drive anywhere. And Logan says we’ll take the subway once we’re there.”
“Still, the fact you agreed to go to something you hate tells me you like him more than you’re admitting.”
