“I will,” he said, already sliding into the backseat of a waiting town car. “I just need to take care of something first. I’ll let you know where to bring your stuff.”
Then the door shut, and he was gone.
I stood there for a second, blank. The bus wouldn’t be there for an hour. So, with nowhere else to go, I wandered back into the air-conditioned lobby, collapsed into a plastic chair, and let out a groan.
Four weeks. Just four weeks of pretending to date a man who thought manners were a scam invented by the weak. But at least I’d have a place to sleep. At least I wouldn’t be checking my bank account and holding my breath every minute.
Twenty minutes crawled by. Each one gnawed at me with new doubts. This wasn’t a real plan. It was only delaying the inevitable.
Movement snapped me out of it. Topher sprinted past me, his expression intense, as if the world might collapse if he didn’t handle whatever task he’d set his sights on.
Without thinking, I shoved my phone into my bag and followed him, my heart pounding with a reluctant sense of obligation. Why was I doing this? I couldn’t stand him, but somehow, there I was, trapped in a ridiculous situation. I caught up with him near the entrance. He looked pale.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
He held up his phone. His voice cracked.
“I just got a 911 text about my mom.”
4
I’d only met Topherthat morning—barely enough time to form an opinion, though what little I’d seen hadn’t been flattering. He was the kind of guy who barked orders and lived in a world of spreadsheets and endless meetings, a workaholic who seemed to think that was the only way to live.
But now I saw something else. Something I didn’t expect.
He looked scared.
And I don’t mean the ‘forgot my password’ kind of panic. This was on a whole different level.
It threw me. This was the same man who had barely glanced at me when we first met, as if I were just another minion to boss around. Now, his eyes were darting like he couldn’t quite process what was happening.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket, his movements jerky. “Are you coming or not?” he asked, his voice tight but wavering just enough for me to catch it.
I hesitated for a heartbeat, then found myself saying, “Yeah, I’m coming.” I didn’t know this guy, but something in the way he looked, as if he was unraveling, made me want to help. I was his fake girlfriend, and aren’t girlfriends—fake or not—supposed to do this kind of thing?
He turned and marched toward the hospital entrance, and I hurried to catch up.
Topher jabbed the elevator button repeatedly. “We should just take the stairs,” he muttered, his voice sharp, as if the idea of waiting one more second for the elevator was physically painful.
If I hiked up five flights right now, I’d probably need a hospital bed myself. My calves were already screaming in protest at the thought.
Just then, the elevator doors slid open, and I nearly sighed in relief.Thank you, universe.
“My mother’s so stubborn,” Topher said, as the elevator jerked upward. “She wants to stay here, but I’m not taking any chances. I’ll fly her to the finest hospital in the world, with the most renowned doctors on the planet. Whatever it takes.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. I hardly knew this guy—just enough to realize he was the kind of person who tried to control everything around him, and right now, that control was slipping. “Maybe… let’s just see what’s happening first.” I hoped my suggestion wouldn’t set off another round of elevator-button-murdering.
But he hardly seemed to hear me. “This wouldn’t be an issue if she were in New York. She could be near some of the world’s top doctors, and I could be with her in minutes. I should’ve insisted on moving her closer to me. But no, she’s too attached to this town.”
I paused, unsure how far to push. “If she’s attached, it means she’s got a good life, one she enjoys, and that’s important. That’s something, right?”
Topher hesitated. “Yeah, she does love it here. You know, she owns Muses, that bar over in the Garden District.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wait, your mom owns Muses?”
“Yeah,” he said, a little distracted, clearly still worried. “She’s been concerned about leaving it in other people’s hands while she’s in the hospital, but I keep telling her she put a good group in charge. They’ve got it under control.”
I blinked, processing that piece of news. Muses was one of the most popular bars in the city.
