His Affection Meter Hit 100% novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: I Don't Love You

Ainsley's POV

Heath was on one knee on his father's lawn with his grandmother's ring held up in both hands, and the panel over my shoulder read 94%.

Sixty people were watching.

Frankie stood at the very edge of the lights beside a tree, with her arms wrapped around herself.

She did not look at Heath.

She looked straight at me and gave me one short nod.

I had practiced the words in the car.

I had practiced them four times and thrown up once on the gravel road.

"Ainsley Fallon," Heath said. His voice cracked on my name. "I'm not good at speeches. I'm just going to say it. Will you marry me?"

The lake was very quiet.

I could hear the water against the dock posts.

I took a breath and said it.

"No."

He smiled for a second, because he thought I was teasing.

Then he saw my face.

"Ains?"

"No, Heath. I'm not going to marry you."

"Is it too fast? We can wait. We can..."

"It isn't too fast."

I made my voice flat and cold, the way I had in the worst days of the first run.

"I don't love you."

His hands lowered a little.

"You said you did. In your text."

"I say a lot of things."

A murmur went through the lawn.

*AFFECTION: 91%.*

"You told me you loved me in the car," he said, very low.

"You told me first. I wanted you to keep saying it."

I took the black card from my clutch and laid it flat across his open palm, on top of the ring box.

"Twenty thousand dollars," I said. "I've spent six already. The rest is yours."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm being honest." I made myself keep looking at him. "I never loved you, Heath. I stayed because you paid for everything, and because you were easy to make feel guilty. A girl in my position takes what she can get."

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