Page 91 of The Billionaire Mismatch

“Yeah well, I don’t think Sadie sees it that way. And because Sadie is Olivia’s best friend, Olivia is going to see things from Sadie’s point of view,” Matt says, and as much as I don’t want to, I think about that.

“You think Olivia is still messing with me,” I say, and it comes out as more of a statement than a question.

“Don’t you?” he asks.

“No, I don’t,” I say, and for a second, Matt just studies me. He’s not going to push it. He knows that if he does, I’m just going to get mad. He knows that I need to think it through myself. And I’m not going to lie. Thinking this whole thing through is not something I have done much of in the last couple of dates. I’ve kind of just gone with the flow. Let things play out on their own. Followed the vibes and…

My heart.

Fuck.

As I wipe my hand down my face, Matt offers a cringe disguised as empathy.

“Girls stick together,” he says. “I know it sucks, but–”

“It’s a fact,” he says.

“And if Livv is really loyal to Sadie…she’ll lead you on. Until your walls are down and–”

“I’m still struggling with it,” I say, shoving up from the chair and pacing his office. “Because I know how girls act when they’re faking shit to get what they want. And Livv is just so…” I search for the word. It’s hard to come up with words to describe her. “Authentic. Candid. Real…”

Matt opens his mouth to argue, but I hold up my hand and drive my point home.

“I need proof. If she’s fucking with me to get revenge for Sadie, I need to know for sure.”

“And how do you plan on getting that proof?” he asks.

“Simple. I’m going to ask her,” I respond.

“And you don’t think she’d lie to you?” he asks skeptically.

And I think about that. I think about who Olivia is. How she acts around me. How she blushes and giggles, and every one of her emotions shows before she even speaks. About how she snuggles into me at night and how she smiles when I kiss her awake. How she danced at the beach and took me shopping, and even letme in her studio, a place that is very private for her. And after thinking about all of that, I shake my head.

“No. I don’t think she can lie to my face,” I say with absolute certainty. I truly believe it. I just have to talk to her, and everything will make sense. I feel it. I can’t explain it; I just know.

And with that, it hits me that I may be more like her than I thought possible.

Chapter 32

Olivia

“Areyou sure you can afford this?” I ask as Sadie and I sit down at a small table at Indigo Tide, the same sushi place Luca took me on our first date.

“Thanks for the faith in me,” she says.

“I’m just saying, I’ve been here before and it’s pricey.” I say, and Sadie shoots me a look.

“I know you’ve been here before. With Luca. How could I forget?” she asks as she looks over the menu. “And my new job pays well. Way better than he ever paid me. So, I’m treating us to sushi. And drinks, of course.”

I smile, but in my gut, I feel guilty for more than one reason. She’s my best friend. Despite all our differences and her tendency to be a bit of a diva, Sadie is my best friend. And because I am her best friend, I need to tell her the truth.

We order cocktails and several rolls of sushi to share. I let her tell me about her new job, all the while doing my best to seem interested and not focus on the elephant in the room. Theelephant whispering in my ear that I need to tell her the last thing she wants to hear.

“The best part is they literally let me have creative freedom. No more being treated like I don’t know what I’m doing. Or not being valued for my talent. I might have only gone to a community art school, but I know design. Not just graphic design, but fashion too. And they see that. They really see that. Sure, it’s lacking in sexy men, but what are you going to do, right?” Sadie takes a break from talking to take a sip of sake.

“There are no men at the magazine?” I ask.

“Not straight ones,” she mutters. “But…that’s what the apps are for, right?” I ask.