“This isn’t like that,” he said more calmly this time, reaching out to her. “I was just trying to help.”

She sidestepped, avoiding his touch as she locked eyes with him. “Yeah, well, I think you’ve helped enough.” She stalked over to the front door, each step stiff, and pulled it open. “You got what you wanted out of this. Six dates. No falling in love. You’re going to win your Last Man Standing bet. I got what I wanted, and my uncle can’t force me out of the foundation and close it. We both have everything we ever wanted so, actually, it’s past time we called quits on this whole marriage charade.”

He started toward her, his hands up in supplication. “Chelle—”

She shut him up with a glare. “For my entire life, men have been telling me they know what’s best for me. There was my dad and the bullshit clause in his will requiring me to get married. Then there was my uncle trying to maneuver me into accepting my real position in the world as a helpmate for my husband.” She sucked in a breath, blinking away the tears threatening to fall. She would not let them. Later, when she was alone, she wouldn’t fight it, but not now, in front of the man she’d fallen in love with, the one she thought saw her as capable, worthy, an equal. “Then there’s you, deciding what the best thing was for my books. I’ve had enough. Go home, Nash—your own home.”

Shoulders slumped, face down, he walked over to the door, stopping long enough to give the two dogs scratches under their collars. Then he let out a defeated sigh and looked up at her, his own gaze watery.

“I won’t do it again,” he said, his voice breaking. “Please…give me another chance.”

“Nash, you’ve been doing this your entire life. It’s who you are. You can’t help but help people—even when they don’t need it or want it.” She couldn’t stop the tears now. They slid down her cheeks as fast as she wiped them away with a hard scrub of the back of her hand. “Please, just leave.”

He took one last look at her, as if he was memorizing every last detail, and then walked out her front door.

It was exactly what she wanted.

It was exactly what she knew would happen.

And it was the worst moment of her life.

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Nash