Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 64910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Detective Alto rushed off after Bram’s parting comment. It was Detective Green who said, “I can’t say that I agree with you. Because that would put me in a position I don’t necessarily want to be in. But if I did, I would try really hard to figure out what that guy’s problem is.” He hooked his finger toward Alto’s departing back. “I’m sorry that this happened to you two. And for what it’s worth…”
He left that hanging, but his eyes said something completely different.
As if he knew what we’d done, and he approved.
Bram’s hand stiffened on my shoulder that he was now holding, but the rest of him was calm.
After everyone left, and it was just the two of us standing there, I said, “What the fuck are you doing? You can’t give up Mimi!”
Bram sighed. “Mimi’s already halfway given me up anyway. This’ll be a clean break. I love… loved… whatever. I like her still. But I can’t deal with it anymore. This last week has been from hell. And if anything, today gave me a perfectly good reason in my conscience to give her up. I won’t feel bad anymore about letting go.”
I shook my head. “This is going to be a disaster.”
• • •
Things happened really fast after that.
As in, I never once expected him to spend quite so much time with me to sell our lie.
Nor did I expect him to leave his girlfriend.
The first time we saw her while we were out to eat, I nearly threw up the food that I’d been barely eating.
It was barbeque and probably would’ve hurt coming back up.
Weeks passed, and each time we saw Mimi, the more the dagger in my heart twisted.
Because Bram felt horrible. I could see it in his eyes, on his face, and the way he held himself when she was around.
He clearly still loved her.
But Detective Alto, if anything, had doubled down his efforts in trying to prove our guilt.
If we ever needed to sell the lie, now was the time.
I only wish it hadn’t come at the expense of Mimi’s heart and my own.
CHAPTER 7
FYI—I’m out of medicine that makes me like you.
-Bram to Shine
BRAM
“I don’t believe you,” the detective admitted. “I feel like there’s more going on here than what meets the eye.”
He was a suspicious man with good cop vibes.
He was right.
Yet…
I moved to my truck and opened the passenger side door. Then I yanked open the glove compartment and grabbed the box that’d been sitting there for nearly six months. The ring that I’d been planning on giving to Mimi and hadn’t.
The ring that’d been practically burning a hole in the glove compartment of my truck as I thought about Mimi never wearing it over the last few weeks.
Overall, leaving Mimi had been a good decision.
I loved her, but I didn’t love her like I should love her.
We’d been high school sweethearts and moved into adult lovers. But what we were not, was forever meant to be.
That wasn’t saying that Dory was my forever, either.
But it looked like she was about to sell the lie that she was.
“Look,” I said. “Dory’s the real deal to me. Would I have a ring for her if she weren’t?”
“I just don’t believe it,” Detective Alto snapped. “There’s something going on here.”
Did I also mention that Detective Alto was Mimi’s cousin?
They were close, and it was obvious that Detective Alto had it out for me after breaking Mimi’s heart.
When I’d told Dory about it the day they’d found Amon’s body, she’d said, “Well, that explains the hatred between you two. And somewhat me. But why did he hate me before? Why didn’t he believe what I had to say about Amon previously?”
“You’ll break her even more if you do that,” Alto said stiffly.
I shrugged and shoved the ring into my pocket.
I guess that meant that I would have to head toward Dory’s place now.
We’d have to sell this for real, now.
No more playing and pretending.
What we had to do next would be a game changer.
• • •
DORY
“We’re going to try to make this work,” he said to me. “We’re going to stay married. We’re going to make this a real relationship. We’re going to sell this lie. You on board?”
I was on board with anything that wouldn’t have me seeing the inside of a jail cell.
“Yes.”
He slid the ring that used to be his ex-girlfriend’s onto my finger, then grinned.
“It fits.”
I felt my heart sink. “It fits.”
Some other girl’s ring fit.
Yay for me.
• • •
Three months later
We got married at the courthouse.
None of Bram’s family was in attendance, mostly because they were all mad at him.
In fact, they disliked me so much that not a single one of them would even spare the time to talk to me.
It was, by far, much worse than I could’ve ever imagined.