Page 1 of Fool Me Twice

Chapter 1

Hart

“The first step to win yourself is to wake up early.”

Hart turned his alarm clock off, silencing the sound of birdsong and wind rustling through leaves. He liked waking up feeling peaceful and at ease.

He stretched as far as he could under his crisp covers, inhaling the scent of lavender and ocean mist—his new favorite fabric softener. It helped him sleep better and made waking up a pleasant experience.

He pointed his toes toward the end of the bed, inhaling deeply as he held the stretch before relaxing once again and finally opening his eyes. He was met with a semi-dark room, the early morning sun barely finding its way through the thick, dark green curtains on his windows.

Hart liked sleeping in complete darkness, but he always left a tiny slit in the curtains to make sure the first rays of sunlight fell directly onto his bedroom floor. He traced the glowing trail across his wooden floors, letting his mind fully awaken.

With one final deep breath, Hart was ready to start his day. He turned to his right, reaching toward his bedside table and grabbing his phone. He used his fingerprint to unlock it and pulled up the app to start his coffee machine while he got ready. He used a different app to send his curtains sliding open as he sat up in bed and folded his covers away from his chest.

His gaze fell on the lump under the covers on the other side of his bed.

It was rising and falling softly.

Breathing.

Hart’s lips stretched into a soft smile, and he leaned in to place his open palm on top of it.

“I hope you found some peace here,” he whispered, tucking the covers tighter around the lump before standing up and heading into his bathroom.

He turned on the lights and got out of his silk pajamas, stepping under the lukewarm shower to wash the remaining traces of sleep away. He dried himself with a fluffy towel then went through his skincare routine step by step, letting each product soak into his skin before moving on to the next. He applied sunscreen, and while he was waiting for that to dry on his face, he styled his hair to perfection.

Satisfied, he left the bathroom, heading to his large walk-in closet and pulling the door open. He pushed a button next to the door and set the clothing rails moving, showcasing all the clothes he owned.

He had invested a lot of money into designing and then building his dream closet, and he felt a surge of happiness each time he used it.

It felt almost ritualistic to him. Picking out an outfit, matching the accessories for it, putting it on, and feeling put together and ready to face the day. Like armor of sorts, presenting him to the world in the best light possible.

His choice for the morning was a gray blazer and trouser combination, with a black vest underneath, white buttons on it to match the white shirt. He added an abstract patterned black, white, and gray tie with a matching pocket square, and a beautiful brooch on the lapel attached to the pocket with a beaded chain. He finished it off with black suede ankle boots and a silver wristwatch.

He glanced into the mirror to make sure everything was as he desired before nodding to himself and walking out of his closet.

The lump in his bed remained motionless, and Hart refused to disturb the peaceful sleep, so he picked up his phone and car keys and slowly walked out of his room.

He clicked the door shut, then turned around and crossed the narrow hallway to the stairs. He took the first one and was almost knocked back onto his behind by the barrage of noise coming from downstairs.

“I didn’t poke my finger into your eggs,” Black whined.

“Yes, you did!” Ash argued.

“Did not,” Black said. “Fix, tell him.”

“I am not getting involved. Ash, you were supposed to be at the office half an hour ago.”

“Shit!” Ash’s curse was followed by the scraping of a chair and boots thundering over hardwood floors.

“Wait!” Black said. “I’m coming with you!”

“No, you’re not!” Ash yelled from somewhere close to the front door.

“Yes, I am. My car is at the shop and Midas already left,” Black said. “Fix, tell him.”

“Still not getting involved, muffin,” Fix said. “But it would be really nice if Ash gave you a ride just until your car is ready.”

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