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"I just...I wanted to talk to you. To apologize." He said.
I raised an eyebrow. "For what? For setting me up?"
Christian winced. "No, not for that. For everything. For the way, I've been acting lately. I've been a real jerk, and I'm sorry."
“Why did you do it?" I said, my voice low and accusing. "Give me a reason!”
Christian's face fell. "I didn't set you up, Alex. I swear."
I shook my head. "Don't lie to me. You knew exactly what you were doing. You wanted to hurt me." He’d probably been planning this all along. Get me to the ball and then get his mom to announce our engagement, knowing I couldn’t wiggle out of it. No wonder he’d invited me to the ball to begin with.
Christian looked up at me, his eyes filling with what looked like regret. "I didn't mean for it to happen like that, Alex. I swear."
"What does that mean?" I demanded, my frustration growing.
Christian hesitated, then spoke slowly. "I didn't tell my mom that we were engaged. She just...assumed it, I guess."
I frowned. "Assumed it? How could she assume something like that?"
Christian looked away, his face darkening. "I don't know. Maybe she saw us kissing and just...jumped to conclusions."
I shook my head in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would she assume we’re engaged? She only saw us together once, that night at the ball!” I could feel my anger building. I couldn’t believe I’d let Christian trick me this way.
He shrugged. "I don't know, Alex. But it's the truth. I didn't tell her anything."
I studied him for a moment, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. Part of me wanted to believe him. After all, why would he lie about something like this? But another part of me was still convinced that he was just trying to cover his tracks.
I hesitated, not sure if I could believe him. We had been through so much together, had fought and argued, and hurt each other in so many ways. Was this just another empty gesture, another attempt to smooth things over without any real change?
But then Christian said something that made me pause. "I don't want to break my parents' hearts," he said quietly.
I frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"The night of the ball... My parents were so happy. They were thrilled to see me with you, to think that we were together. I don't want to disappoint them."
I sighed. "So what, now you're just using me to keep them happy?"
“You’re using me just as much. You’ve got no moral ground to stand on here, Alex,” he said.
“At least I didn’t announce our engagement at a ball where your family and half of Miami's elite were in attendance without consulting you first. Do you have any idea how that made my mom and dad feel?”
“Please, Alex. I don’t want to fight.” He shook his head. "But that's not all. I care about you. I really do. I want to make things right between us. But I also don't want to hurt my parents. Is that so wrong?" He looked down at me, his eyes pleading. "Please, Alex. Don't tell my parents the truth. They'll be devastated if they find out what I did. Just...pretend with me for a while longer, okay? Pretend like we're still engaged... I'll make it up to you, I swear. Just consider it part of the bet."
I didn't know what to say. On the one hand, I didn't want anything to do with Christian. I was still hurt and angry about what had happened at the ball, about the way he hadn’t corrected his mother's mistaken assumption or whatever it was. But on the other hand, I understood what he was saying. I knew what it was like to want to make your parents proud, to want to be the good child they had always wanted.
So I nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "Okay. I'll hear you out. But don't expect me to forgive you just like that."
Christian smiled, relief on his face. “Thank you, Alex. I won't let you down."
“So what do we do now?" I asked my voice low.
“We attend Nathan and Sophie's wedding together. My parents will be there”
“Hopefully this time they don’t announce that we’re married,” I said sarcastically.
***
Christian’s POV
