The day had drained me both physically and emotionally. Calling my brother to pick me up at the airport had been difficult. He’d agreed to come get me, no questions asked, but Nic had wanted some answers on the drive back to Harrison City.
Through my tears, I had managed to give him the basic rundown of the deal Luke had offered me. Pretend to be his girlfriend so the people at work would think he was settling down, maturing. That he was someone stable they could trust running a whole show.
Weird request, yes, I had freely admitted that to Nic, but it seemed harmless enough. There was no clue that he was lying to me. It turned out the arrangement was about some kind of bet with his brother. The work thing had been a smokescreen.
That was all I had told Nic about the bet, since it was basically all I knew about it too. Troy’s messages to Luke were prettyvague, but it sure seemed like he had tricked me into being his girlfriend just so he could have someone to bring home at Christmas. Then he wouldn’t have to give up his fancy cabin. Not to mention, he was planning on dumping me after Christmas.
From Luke’s timeline, it also seemed like he’d targeted me specifically. I had to assume it was because he thought of me as an easy mark. A pushover. A rube. There was nothing worse when someone made you feel like a fool and that was how Luke had made me feel.
No matter what the details of the situation were, one thing was indisputable: Luke had lied to me. Full stop. I couldn’t just ignore that.
He knew damn well my ex had spread lies about me in the movie industry back in LA. To be fair, no one liked being lied to, but I had made it clear to Luke how important honesty was to me in a relationship. I had been burned badly in the past.
Trust didn’t come easily anymore, and Luke’s deception wasn’t going to help with that. At this rate, I would never trust another man again. Luke had seemed so genuine. If he had been faking things the whole time, I hadn’t noticed anything. Maybe I was just a terrible judge of character. That, or I had the worst taste in men.
The spinster basement at my parents’ house was looking better and better. No one could lie to me if I was single. No one could break my heart if I never let myself love anyone again.
Love was great, but the pain wasn’t worth it. My ex had shattered me. Luke had picked up all my jagged pieces, giving me hope, only to smash them into even smaller bits. I couldn’t do it again. I wouldn’t survive. I had nothing left to give.
Single women who kept chasing love had to be some of the strongest people in the world because I was only twenty-four and I was done with all of it. Keep your candlelight dinners, yoursmoldering smiles, and your broken promises. I’d be getting some shelter cats.
They could keep me company in my pit of despair. I could buy them outfits and dress them up for photoshoots. Then start an Instagram account and pretend they’re the ones running it.
I sighed and scrubbed my hand over my face. I was losing it. Maybe I should wait on the cats.
The cold bathroom tile made my butt ache. I didn’t know how long I had been in there, but I couldn’t avoid going back out into my brother’s house. I was sure he was still up waiting on me in case I wanted to talk.
With a groan, I got to my feet. My knees cracked and I shook my head, feeling like I was falling apart. Sleep called to me. I was exhausted and it would be a welcome escape from the hell of being awake.
I opened the restroom door with a loud creak. Nic’s heavy steps came lumbering down the hall toward me.
“Are you okay?” He shook his head. “Of course not. I mean, is there anything you need right now? Or anyone you want me to kill?”
I smiled softly and gave my brother a hug. “Thank you, but all I want right now is a soft pillow.”
“The guest bed is all yours,” Nic said. “Sadie is at her place tonight. You can snore as loud as you want.”
I shook my head and turned toward the guestroom. “Don’t wake me before noon.”
Nic chuckled. “You have my word.”
I slipped into the first sleeping clothes I could find in my disorganized suitcase. Folding my clothes neatly hadn’t been a priority back at Luke’s. I had just needed to get the hell out of there.
The bed in Nic’s guestroom was small, cold, and lonely. I curled in on myself and merciful slumber took me. If I had dreams, they were too dark to remember.
The next day, I woke up and stretched, and for about five seconds, everything felt right in the bright Texas sunshine. Then reality slammed down on me like an elephant sitting on my chest, and I wished I could fall right back to sleep to escape.
That wasn’t going to happen. Coffee scented the air. It was about the only thing that could have lured me out of that bed. With a sigh, I dragged my protesting limbs out the door and made my way to the kitchen.
Nic sat at his kitchen table with a steaming mug beside him and a newspaper spread out in front of him.
“Are you the last person who gets an actual paper?” I croaked. My voice sounded like I’d smoked two packs of cigarettes the night before. At least I wasn’t crying again. Not yet anyway.
“Call me old fashioned, but I just like having it in my hand, the smell of the paper and the ink. Plus I like the sudoku.”
“You’re already turning into Dad,” I said, slinking over to the coffeemaker.
“Don’t you dare say that.” Nic laughed.
