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“She’s always dated men her own age, but I don’t mind the age difference. Poppy’s wise beyond her years. She’s never been one to follow the crowd, and I trust her judgment implicitly.”

The thought of her dating another man annoys me for some reason. I have no right to feel this way, and frankly, I don’t want to. Poppy isn’t mine. She isn’t anything to me.

“When she was younger, she’d always bring home the kids who were left out. The quieter children, the ones who didn’t have many friends … the ones everyone else seemed to overlook. Poppy was never interested in being part of the popular crowd. She always went for the underdog. She saw the good in people before anyone else did.”

A smile tugs at her lips as she continues. “I remember when she was eleven, it was her last year of primary school, and the school was offering graduation hoodies for the students. The entire year had their names printed on the back. A memento of sorts. There was a kid in her class whose parents couldn’t afford one, so Poppy made trays of cookies and went around the neighbourhood selling them. She raised enough money to buy him one too.” She shakes her head as a soft laugh escapes. “When I asked her why she did it, she looked at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world and said, ‘Because everyone deserves to feel included, Nanna’. That’s just who she’s always been.”

I may have only seen Poppy’s sassy side, but for some reason, I don’t doubt there’s a gentleness underneath it all. I saw how far she was willing to go just to give her grandmother peace of mind. It was ridiculous, maybe, but it was also strangely thoughtful.

“I have a favour to ask,” Nanna says, pulling me out of my own head. “We have a leak under our kitchen sink. It’s pretty bad. My husband used to fix everything around the house when he was alive. I’m still getting used to not having him here to do those kinds of things.” She gives me a hopeful look. “If I gave you my house keys, do you think you could take a look at it?”

I wouldn’t know the first thing about plumbing, and I really don’t have the time, but somehow, the answer is already leaving my mouth. “Of course.”

“Thank you. I can pay you for any parts you may need, and depending on how much that is, I might be able to give you something for your time.”

“I’ll handle it,” I assure her.

“I’m sorry I even have to ask, but I don’t want to leave it on Poppy’s shoulders. She has enough to deal with right now.”

Chapter 5

Poppy

I do a double-take when I enter Nanna’s room and find her grinning. Did she receive some good news while I was gone? “Someone’s in a good mood,” I say, forcing a smile as I approach her bed.

“I had a visitor today,” she replies, her grin growing wider.

My brows pull together. “A visitor?”

“Riley.”

My heart stutters, and I hate that it does. “Riley was here?”

The surprise that washes over me is quickly followed by something I don’t want to admit. Relief. Maybe even pleasure. Because despite everything, the thought of him sitting here with my Nanna, keeping her company, makes something warm bloom in my chest. However, I push the feeling away before it becomes too comfortable.

He’s not my boyfriend, he’s a stranger, and this whole thing is a sham.

“He came to check on me,” she says as I lean in and place my lips on her cheek for a chaste kiss. “Such a lovely young man. So polite. He even offered to help with the leak under the kitchen sink.”

The warmth disappears instantly as my stomach drops. “He what?”

“You told me he was a plumber, so he’s going to fix it for us. I gave him the spare key and our address, and he’s going to call over this afternoon to have a look.”

“What?” I repeat, blinking a few times as I let her words sink in.

My grandmother stares at me, completely unaware that she’s casually dropped a bomb into my lap.

“I can’t believe he didn’t know where we live. What kind of relationship is that, Poppy? He barely knows anything about your life. If this is going to work between you both, you’ll have to open up a little more, darling.”

“You gave him our keys to the house and our address?”

The panic in my voice makes her frown. “Poppy, sweetheart⁠—”

“Shit,” I mumble under my breath as I start pacing, my mind racing through every possible disaster.

When I finally stop and face my grandmother’s bed, I open my mouth, ready to tell her everything. To confess that Riley doesn’t exist and that she just handed a complete stranger the keys to our home.

For all I know, he could be a serial killer. He could’ve already had a spare set cut and be planning God only knows what.