Love Arranged (Lakefront Billionaires, #3)(73)

From the jewelry I bought her to the dress she chose with me in mind, she looks like mine.

And her engagement ring will remind everyone of that.

Her breath stutters, and I chastise myself for leaving her hanging.

“I never expected us to be here tonight,” I say, my voice light and teasing. “When we began this…relationship, I was skeptical, but for the first time since I started this campaign, I can’t help feeling a little hopeful.”

I drop her hand so I can grab the ring from the box. “I know this isn’t the proposal you dreamed of, but I hope the ring makes up for it.”

Her watery eyes follow my hand as I slide the ring past her first knuckle. “You’re supposed to ask if I’ll marry you.”

I shoot her a lopsided grin. “I don’t like asking questions I already know the answer to.”

Her polite smile hardly compares to the radiant ones I’ve grown used to, and I feel robbed as I finish pushing the ring up her finger.

A roar of applause breaks through the quiet, reminding me there is one last part to the show.

With unsteady legs, I stand to my full height and pull Lily into a kiss. Compared to our other ones, this time it’s different. I can feel her hesitating, almost as if she is holding back, which isn’t something I’m used to.

My suspicions are proven correct when she pulls away before I have a chance to deepen the kiss. She turns to face the crowd, who only saw her back throughout the proposal, and hits them with a stunning smile that never reaches her eyes.

Did you expect her to be happy about any of this?

No, of course not, but I didn’t think her reaction would affect me to this level.

I want to pull her aside and ask her what’s wrong, but Willow opens the doors. Another round of applause ensues, reminding us that the show must go on.





CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO


Lily


I’m running on autopilot as Lorenzo and I walk through the crowd forming around us, my cheeks hurting from how hard I am smiling. I’m overwhelmed by how enthusiastic everyone is, and after the tenth iteration of “Congratulations,” I’m ready to go home.

Lorenzo’s arm remains a steel band around my waist, and while I enjoy his possessive hold, I’m also uncomfortably aware it wouldn’t be there if not for the two hundred people surrounding us.

I’ve seen my mom have plenty of panic attacks over the course of my life, and I’ve had my fair share of anxious moments, but none of it compares to the way I feel right now.

I can’t force enough air into my lungs. I try to breathe—try to calm the rapid beat of my heart by counting each inhale. When someone makes a joke, I laugh, but it comes out hollow.

The sound seems to gain Lorenzo’s attention, and he excuses us before carting me away toward the private room where Julian and Dahlia were waiting earlier.

Oh God. The reminder of my family hits me like a gut punch, and I reach for my stomach.

“Are you going to be sick?” Lorenzo asks, panic bleeding into his question.

“Maybe.” If not physically, then for sure mentally, because what did I agree to?

How did I end up being fake engaged to a guy I’m interested in, and how are we ever supposed to have a real chance at a relationship if half of it has been built on lies?

One second I’m bent over, and the next Lorenzo is lifting me into his arms and carrying me to the couch. I expect him to deposit me on it, but he takes a seat and cradles me in his arms. My thighs drape across his lap, and my dress poofs around us.

Being taken care of…being held in his arms like I matter…

I feel like I’m being torn in two directions, my heart splitting down the center as Lorenzo cradles me to his chest. Part of me cherishes this kind of connection after spending so long wishing for it while the other is terrified by it.

Terrified of him and how he is making me feel again.

“Are we going to talk about what happened out there?” he asks, tilting my body back so I have no choice but to look up at him.

“Is there a point? The damage is done.” I hold up my left hand to show off the most beautiful diamond engagement ring ever to exist. It’s difficult to look at it, knowing this ring is absolutely perfect and nothing will ever compare.

His brows furrow. “I thought this is what you wanted.”

“It was.”

“What changed?”

My heart is stuck in my throat, the beats growing with intensity as I consider whether to open up to him about my feelings.

If you don’t, you’ll keep going around in circles for the next three and a half months.

But if I do, there is a chance Lorenzo will shut down again, although this time it’ll be worse because he can’t run away. I’ll be stuck with him, pretending to be a happy couple while dying inside.

I’m not sure what scenario I hate more, but I guess I’m about to find out.

“I wanted more for us,” I say, choosing the path that could end with more heartache.

He tenses underneath me, the reaction tempting me to shut my mouth and never open it again, but no, I need to see this through until the very end.

“Lily,” he drawls, a warning if I’ve ever heard one.

My shoulders feel heavy, the weight of my poor choices stacking on top of them like invisible bricks. “When we started this process, I thought there was no way in hell I’d give you another chance, and we both know you wouldn’t want one either, so I didn’t think there was much of a risk while faking it for the public. But the more time we spent together, the more I started looking forward to it.”