Page 62 of Synced to Us

But she’ll never be mine.

23

Dee

Brad avoids both me and Wyn for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. For the entirety of our repairs, he kept near the wood cutter. Probably because he needed the comfort of a deadly machine to come between him and Wyn should Wyn decide to approach him.

Wyn, Lucy, and I worked long into the morning. After Wyn made his debut, I managed to unfreeze my limbs and become a helpful resource once the image of a shirtless Wyn wielding a hammer like Thor took less of a hold on my hormone-fried brain.

Lord, he was sex and muscle. I wanted to climb him, ride him, and never let go.

I beg off around noon to head upstairs to pack and shower while the staircase was in the final staining stages, which Lucy was taking care of while her twins napped. As I bypass the kitchen, I notice Wyn and his mother murmuring at the table. May’s cupping a mug of tea and Wyn knocking back an iced drink.

Toweling off after my shower, I wonder what they were talking about. It doesn’t matter to me if they’re confiding in each other—something they’ve likely neglected for years. I shouldn’t hope Wyn’s coming to further understand May’s addiction or May’s finally getting a glimpse of Wyn’s hidden struggles since losing his position in Nocturne Court. As a fake accessory, none of this should concern me.

Family doesn’t come first in my world. Not since my parents left me to fend for myself. The dynamics of broken relationships certainly don’t take up my headspace. Wyn’s happiness is at the bottom of my list of worries. Rock bottom. In an ocean. Marianas Trench. Far away from my own, goal-oriented future.

Liar.

As his fake girlfriend, it has to.

“Dammit, Dee,” I whisper to my fogged reflection in the mirror. “Stop thinking about him.”

Sex and fake relationships is what I do.

So why does this feel different?

I left that life because of the numbness that grew like weeds over my body after every new client. I wasn’t stimulated anymore. Not even the sinful, dangerous aspects of the career were a turn on in my last days. My brain, always on when it came to college courses and exams, had hit a plateau of…of nothingness once I graduated. It forced the awareness that juggling a business degree and being an escort on the side was no longer necessary. The excuse of working a few short years so I could pay for college was over. After receiving my degree, I didn’t have time to pursue a legitimate career. I was too successful as an escort, making more cash than I knew what to do with. It took a while to figure out I was no longer playing with danger and skill. I’d become business as usual. A veteran prostitute with two options: become a madam, or get out.

A light knock sounds at the bathroom door, drawing my attention away from the mirror.

“Dee? You almost ready? Train’ll be here in an hour.”

I answer Wyn through the door, “One second.”

His heavy footsteps fade away.

Rather than blow-dry my hair, I comb it into a low ponytail, smoothing down the sides. This time, I’m prepared for the commute and dress in designer jeans and a sleeveless royal blue blouse. The only accessory I decide on is my Rolex, the first purchase I made when I’d blown through the red of my bank account and paid off my student debts.

Wyn’s waiting for me downstairs, my packed luggage standing beside him. He looks up when he sees me, his expression unreadable.

A warning flutters in my belly. I’d gotten used to Wyn staring too long, studying me too hard, like I was some strange, mythical creature dropped into his arms at the exact right moment. Ever since he found us working on the patio, it’s like he’s turned the dial on the spectrum of his emotion. I’m not even getting the original, easy-going guy anymore. Just a…blank canvas.

Damn. The patio must be it. I’ve overstepped and gotten myself too involved when I shouldn’t have. I crossed the line as the pretend girlfriend.

“Ready?” he asks when I reach the ground floor. His expression doesn’t change.

“I’d like to say goodbye to everyone, if you don’t mind.”

Wyn nods. “Right. Sure. They’re in the main room.”

I turn into the hall, but don’t make it to the kitchen. May buzzes out of the den, nearly bowling me over as she envelops me in a tight hug.

“It was so wonderful to meet you, sweetheart,” she says.

I can’t help but laugh. “The pleasure’s been mine.”

“No, dear.” May pulls away, but keeps her hands on my hips, lifting her chin to meet my eyes. “I’m so glad Wyn’s found stability in these dark times. You’ve been his shining light for him. I could tell the instant he brought you through the door. You two haven’t been able to keep your sights off each other since you arrived.” She sniffs, her eyes shining with tears. “It reminds me of my husband and I, when we first met. I’ll miss my boy, but knowing he has you nearby makes the hole in my heart that much smaller.”

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