Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
TATIANA
Manhattan, New York
Me:
Meet me at Whimstery Cafe once you see this. It’s an emergency.
Text from Penelope:
I just met you there for another “emergency” this morning! Are you dying?
Me:
No…
Text from Penelope:
Are you trying to tell me that you’ve been secretly in love with me since the day we met? (Hayden thinks so. He said we’d make a cute couple.)
Me:
OMFG. No, Penelope. (Hayden is full of shit.)
I clutched my coffee and rehearsed my lines for the umpteenth time.
“We need to talk about Travis, but before that I want you to know that I’ve been lying to you about something,” I whispered. “Well, a couple things actually, and I really need to get them off my chest.”
I hesitated.
This was always the part where I struggled. The part when I was supposed to blurt it all out, to reveal that her brother was the only man I’d ever loved, and that I’d been pretending not to know him all along. Yet, I still couldn’t force myself to say the words.
The thought of her reaction and the potential pain of losing the only female friend I’d ever made hurt too damn much.
Stop rehearsing and rip it off like a Band-Aid when she gets here…
Exhaling, I tapped on my phone screen and focused on my ninety-day contract with Travis instead.
I ran a finger along our signatures, realizing he still hadn’t sent me the non-disclosure agreement.
Not wanting to jeopardize the payment, I called Miss Dawson.
“Well, hello there!” she answered on the first ring. “How can I help you, Mrs. Carter-to-be?”
“I haven’t received the NDA from Mr. Carter yet. Is there a problem?”
“Oh, not at all.” She paused. “He said that given your personal history, he trusts you. He’s made me sign like twenty of them, so he must hold you in really high regard, huh?”
I said nothing.
“While I have you, can you tell me what size you wear in dresses and pantsuits?”
“Depends,” I said. “I fluctuate between a four and a six. Why?”
“Mr. Carter set aside two million for me to buy you a designer-level wardrobe and I have every fashion house on standby.” She yelled my sizes to someone in the background, and I stifled a gasp.
“We’ll do Hermes for at least ten of her new handbags!” She called out before returning her attention to me. “Anyway, if you want, I can insist that Mr. Carter send you an NDA by this evening.”
“That’s okay. I’m fine.”
“Great! Mr. Carter and his team will meet you at Teterboro Airport on Saturday.”
“Got it.” I hung up and signaled for a refill.
Penelope rushed through the doors minutes later.
“This better be life or death.” She plopped down across from me. “Spill the tea.”
“It’s about your brother.”
“Oh. What about him?”
Just say, “I was sleeping with your brother when we were enemies in the past, and then I kind of fell for him, but then—”
“Wait, hold that thought.” She interrupted my thoughts. “I wasn’t sure why you’ve been acting so strange today, but I promise that I didn’t forget.”
She pulled a small red gift box from her pocket and set it on the table. “Here you are. Open it.”
“I’ll have to open it later.”
“No, now. It’s important.”
I tugged at the ribbon and flipped it open. Inside stood a beautiful necklace with a single charm—a runway replica with red diamonds. The words ‘In memory of Reese Brave’ were etched in tiny print.
“I know today is your mom’s birthday,” she said. “She was born three days before my mom, so I’ve always remembered that.”
My heart swelled, and I drowned my pending confession under a wave of guilt.
“Thank you, Penelope.” My voice cracked. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course.” She leaned over and hugged me. “By the way, you can totally handle being fake-engaged to my asshole brother. It’s only for ninety days.”
“Wait, what?” I looked up. “He told you about that?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “He called me right before I got here, actually. What a stupidly brilliant plan that I can’t believe you agreed to take part in. What the hell are you thinking?”
“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say.
“I figured he’d have to do something drastic to repair his image, but I would’ve never guessed an engagement.” She snorted. “With you on his arm, he’ll look a lot better to sponsors for sure.”
“You’re okay with this?”
“I’m more shocked that you’re fine with it, since he used to leave all those mean voicemails, but—” She paused. “You did call him ‘sexy as fuck’ when we went to his last fight months ago, so maybe there’s a bit of attraction there.”
“I was drunk out of my mind.”
“I know.” She laughed. “Just don’t catch feelings for him while you’re away, okay? He’s incapable of loving anyone but himself. That, and his career.”
“He loves you more than anything, Penelope.”
“He loves me by default,” she said. “He’s always been more of a ruling tyrant than an older brother, if I’m being honest.”