Page 23 of The October Arrangement

“No,” I said firmly.

“I don’t think I heard you.”

“You heard me, Bella.”

“Wow. Simon Montclair just told me I was right about something.” A small smile formed across her lips.

“Enjoy it. It won’t happen often.”

“Oh, I’m absolutely enjoying it.” She laughed.

I shook my head. This woman was unbelievable.

“I made assumptions about you, and I shouldn’t have. You built a career without finishing college. You taught yourself how to do something and supported yourself doing it. That matters.”

“You don’t have to stand there and say that just because you feel guilty,” she said.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean, Bella.”

“I’ve already picked up on that,” she said.

“I deserved that,” I sighed. “But I do still think taking off in an RV with some guy you barely knew was insane.”

“And there it is.” She rolled her eyes.

“I’m apologizing to you for being an asshole. I’m not undergoing a complete personality transplant.”

“I was twenty,” she said.

“I know.”

“And for the record, it wasn’t all bad,” she said.

“No?”

“No. I saw places I never would’ve seen. I met people I never would have met. I learned how to survive on almost no money. And I learned how to change a tire.”

“You,” I pointed, “Bella Castle knows how to change a tire? I don’t believe you.”

“Of course you don’t,” she said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“I have people who do that.” I chuckled, and she shot me a look. “That sounded bad as soon as it came out,” I sighed.

“God, you make it so hard to like you,” she said.

“You like me?” I placed my hands, palms down, on her bed and leaned over.

“That’s not what I said, Simon.”

“It sounded like what you said,” I smirked.

“I said you make it hard to like you. That’s entirely different.”

“I don’t think it is,” I said.

“Are you finished apologizing?”

“Almost.” I stood up straight. “I’m sorry, Bella.”