Page 151 of No Limos Allowed


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"Trust me," he said. "Maisie wasgladto see me go."

"Bullshit."

"No bull," he said. "You want the truth?"

I gave a non-committal shrug even as I leaned in to hear more.

He let out a low scoff. "She's mad that I'm not you. She looks like shit, by the way."

Anger flared in my chest. "Hey, don't be a dick, alright?"

"Jeez, chill," he said. "I'm not calling her ugly. I'm just saying, she looks glummer than you."

A nicer guy would've been sad to hear it.Don't get me wrong. I didn't want her miserable.But the fact she wasn't jumping for joy? Well, it wasn'tallbad to hear.

Still, I tried for another shrug. "Yeah, well…it's for the best." But saying it and meaning it were two different things. More tomyself than to Ryder, I added, "Andshewas the one who ended it, remember?"

"Yeah. But why?"

"Youknowwhy." I took a good look around. "This place scared her off."

"So what?" he said. "It's not like you really live here."

"Yeah, but you're missing the point."

"Which is…?"

"If she's gonna dump me because of where I live, she's not the girl I thought."

Ryder looked unconvinced. "Did shesaythat was the reason?"

"She didn'thaveto say it." I grimaced at the memory. "Yousaw her. She bolted like the place was on fire."

He looked around. "If you ask me, a fire would improve it."

No kidding.I said nothing in reply.

But Ryder wasn't done. "If you want her back – and it looks to me like you do – just show her the place in Chicago. That'll fix it."

I considered the place I called home. Thirty floors up in River North – all clean lines, warm floors, and blackout shades I never used. I had four bedrooms and two balconies with a skyline view. The place was everything the boathouse wasn't.

And yet, the thought of going back to the penthouse alone had me thinking that the place was too big, too empty, and too cold in spite of the heated floors.

Fuck.

To Ryder, I replied, "Yeah? And what if she likes it and wants to give us another chance?"

He looked genuinely stumped. "That's good, right?"

"Sure," I scoffed. "Until we hit a bump in the road."

He was still holding the apple. He moved it toward his mouth but took no bite. "What sort of bump?"

"Who knows. I'm just saying, if she can't stick through a shitty apartment, she sure as hell isn't gonna stick in sickness and in health."

The apple fell from his hand and thudded to the floor. "Wait…you're not talking forever, are you?"

"Me?" I forced a laugh. "Nah." And then, there was the part I didn't say.Not anymore.