If I knew Jimmy’s number, I’d call him, but my bad fornot memorizing phone numbers when I have them programmed instead.
“Warner?”
My gaze follows the sound of my name to see Delaney standing with a door open in front of her. Her skirt wraps around the corner while she holds her hair back from blowing in her face. I can’t say she’s not a welcome sight, even despite wondering what game she’s playing with my head. I start walking toward her. No use fighting this. Home is where I need to be recovering with my phone and in my bed. When I reach her, I say, “Homeward bound, dear?”
The smile I would expect from my wife doesn’t appear. She’s quick to duck into the car and slide across the seat to wait for me. With lingering grogginess, my brain isn’t fully functioning. I have a headache coming on, and my body is lethargic. I get into the car, but don’t say anything, choosing to lie back to conserve what little energy I have.
The car pulls away from the curb like he already knows where he’s going. Suspicious indeed. One way or another, I guess I’m about to find out if she’s for real or not.
CHAPTER 5
Delaney
Warner Landers has a life.A prestigious CEO job and thriving career, from what I dug up online. He has too many friends to consider them all close, and his family is always present at the events he attends. All according to Page Six in theNew York Times. He’s surrounded by people who appear to care about him, yet not a single person showed up at the hospital.
No one worried about him.
No one missed him in his absence.
Even the friend he was with before the accident wasn’t there to check on him.
After talking to the nurses, no one even called for Warner.
I shouldn’t care, but I might be the only one. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help with my predicament. I can’t afford to walk through the prime real estate of Tribeca, much less dream of ever standing in the “foyer,” as he called it, of his penthouse apartment.
He stops at the end of the short hall ahead and looks back at me. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine.” Nodding, I force my feet forward to continue playing this charade until I come up with another plan. I slipped into being his wife a little too seamlessly at the hospital. Without even really trying, which should worry me. But the pieces fell into place so easily. When I was given his wallet, his home address was on his driver’s license, so I entered it into the app before I returned it.
I expected more questions, but he didn’t ask one. The silence on the drive over became anxiety-inducing. I thought for sure he was going to call me out, but he never did. Is he playing with me, or does he really not remember if I’m his wife?
I shouldn’t feel insulted that I’m so easily forgotten, though ounces of injury to my pride seep through my veins. Pride is the last thing worth saving. So I used the ride to figure out my next move but came up empty. Except for one idea, an absolutely terrible one at that. No.I can’t.I shouldn’t.
Could I?
As I reach the end of the hall, perfect lighting greets me, highlighting the best features in this large room. Before I can stop it, my jaw drops. “My entire apartment could fit inside this one sp—” I stop, clamping my mouth closed, realizing I’m exposing myself as the fraud I am.
With a glass of water in his hand, he lowers it to the stone counter, where soft beige and creams swirl together, with flecks that gently sparkle when the light hits it just right. And I thought white countertops were fancy. Now I know this stunner exists.
Standing in a hospital gown hanging over his pants, he should look more foolish than he does. Instead, the lines ofhis biceps peek out from under the teal fabric, and the shape of his ass pushes through the slit in the back where he didn’t bother tying up the loose strings.Don't, Delaney.This is nothing more than a job I need to get done, like a thief in a heist movie. "Thisisyour apartment, dear wife,” he says, interrupting my wandering thoughts.
There’s a spit to the end of his comment that echoes the hiss of a snake. It’s a good reminder that I’m in enemy territory. “I meant my first apartment. I’ve moved on up.” I tried for cheerful, but I’m not sure I’m selling it, judging by how he’s staring at me like he can see the lies oozing from my pores.
Shit.
“You sure have.” Lifting the glass again, he takes a sip, but his gaze stays firmly on me.
The large open space is modern yet filled with warmth, encompassing his kitchen and living room, as well as an expansive dining table perfect for large dinner parties. The area aligns with a balcony, divided by glass doors that I bet open wide, seamlessly bringing the outside in or vice versa. Those dinner parties must be pretty spectacular.
I'm afraid to move or speak until I know what I should say. Do I fess up and get the heck out of here?I should.Then I remember the legal paperwork I signed to get him discharged and the ramifications of my gut reactions. My gaze swings to the tired expression on myhusband'sface, and my resolve crumbles. It's an omission. He wouldn't have been hit by that car if I hadn't tried to get in the last word, and I could have been scot-free if his friends or family had shown up for him.But they didn't.
Not to mention my family's restaurant.God, I'm so screwed if he catches on. I can do this. How hard can it be to play the role of the doting wife until the deadline passesnext month? Convincing myself is the easy part. Convincing him is a whole other story. I'm a terrible liar, but if he hasn't figured it out yet, this ludicrous plan is still possible.
There are only two ways to find out—try to pull this off or run now.
I walk toward the back doors, needing out from under the interrogation of his gaze to think more clearly. Spotting the lock, I move across the room like I do this every day. I pull the latch, turn the bolt, and then slide the door just enough to fit through. The sounds of the city are alive, and even at this height, it’s loud with horns and sirens blaring in the distance. Peace is also found in the air up here. Night has fallen like a blanket around me, wrapping me in connection to the city that raised me. Though it was nowhere near this fancy neighborhood, I feel calmer breathing the same air as my stomping grounds. Under the cover of darkness, I find hope that this plan might work.
“Do you have instructions for me?”
