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"Minimum. I'm hoping to negotiate an extension."

A shaky laugh escaped her. I dragged my thumb across along her cheek. "I'm in love with you."

The words came out steady. Certain. And for one perfect second, she looked at me like I'd handed her the entire world.

Then fear slammed the door. She pulled away. "No."

That word hit harder than a fist ever had. And I grew up with three brothers. "No?"

"You can't."

"I can assure you, I can."

"You don't mean that."

"The hell I don't."

"You're caught up in this. The wedding. The pretending. The whole ridiculous situation."

"Mikayla—"

"You like the chase. That's what everyone says. That's what you've always done."

I’d spent years giving people reasons to doubt me. I just hadn’t realized how much it would hurt coming from her. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Tell me what I feel."

Her eyes watered again. "I can't do this."

"Why?" My chest felt like it was going to explode.

"Because I can't trust it. This.” She waved her hand between us. “It’s not real."

There it was. The truth. Raw and ugly between us.

I took a breath. "Then trust me."

She laughed bitterly. "Just like that?"

"No. Not just like that. I'll earn it. Every damn day."

She shook her head. "You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

"I can't survive being wrong about you."

My heart damn near stopped. For a moment, I couldn't speak. Then I reached for her.

She backed away. And said the one thing I never would've expected from her. The one thing I wasn't prepared for. "How could you even know what love is?"

Everything inside me went quiet. No clever comeback. No grin. No joke to make it hurt less.

Just the woman I loved looking at me like my heart wasn't something she could trust.

I dropped my hand. "Maybe I don’t. But I know what this feels like."