Page 79 of Fake

“Ohhhh, an event. How very bougie of you. Can you hear yourself right now?”

“Would it be different if he’d taken me to a dive bar and fucked me in the back of a pickup? Would you be happy for me then? Because Nathan’s rich, that makes all this bad?”

“What makes this bad is who he is and who you are. You guys don’t live in the same world. People like him? They see opportunities and they take them. They don’t worry who gets hurt. Or who they use. Or if what they’re doing is right or wrong. That’s how they get ahead. It’s why they’re rich and the rest of us struggle.”

“Funny. His creepy friend said people like me see people like him as opportunities. That all I saw when I looked at him was a dollar sign. Maybe it says more about you and Dom than me and Nathan.”

Fallon takes my shoulders and the intensity in her eyes begs me to see her point. “I make a living following the lives of people like this. I know them better than you. You need to slow down because Nathan West will chew you up and spit you out.”

“I’m good, Fallon. Better than good. I’ve never felt anything like this before and I know you think he’s faking it to use me for some diabolical plot, but you’re wrong. He’s not a villain.”

“Then what is he?”

“He makes me feel safe to be who I really am.” I flash to last night, curled up in his lap on his couch. “And I think he feels safe with me too.”

“Funny thing about con men. They’re pretty good at making you think and feel exactly what they want you to. Facts, Mina. Not feelings. If Nathan West isn’t a villain, what is he?”

“He’s none of your damn business, that’s what.” I unfurl the throw from around my shoulders, fold it carefully and drape it over the back of the couch. “I don’t know if you’re upset because you were wrong about him and will have to stop telling everyone he’s a bad guy or?—”

Fallon gasps. “You don’t have to get mean just because you don’t like when I’m right.”

Getting mean? That wasn’t mean. That was me, telling her what I’m thinking, just like she’s been telling me. So, she’s allowed to speak without a filter, but I’m not?

Has our friendship always been this off balance?

Dear God. Feeling a little blindsided right about now. Clarity would be a blessing. Yours forever, Mina Blake.

“You know what.” I hold up my hands in defeat. “I’m gonna go.”

“Mina…”

“We’re not getting anywhere, and I don’t want to go round and round with you. Thank you for looking out for me, but stop, Fallon. Just stop.”

I leave, but don’t want to go home. There’s only one place I want to be, one person I want to be with. I make the drive to Nathan’s house with Fallon’s arguments circling my head. Does she really think now is the time to ask him for favors? I can’t wrap my mind around that. Sure, I haven’t told him she’s my friend yet. I keep meaning to, but the time is never right. And now we’ve come so far, and he hates her so much, I can’t imagine his reaction when I finally do tell him.

Scratch that. I can totally imagine his reaction.

It won’t be pretty.

I haven’t intentionally kept it a secret, and last night was not the time to drop that bomb.

But maybe now is.

And I can tell him everything she said about him, about us, and he can assure me she’s wrong and all will feel right with the world again.

I park in the driveway, then knock on the door, tapping my fingers against my thigh as I wait.

And then Nathan appears in the doorway, looking just as happy to see me as I am to see him, and I take my first full breath since leaving Fallon’s apartment.

“I was just thinking of you.” He draws a knuckle across my cheekbone, and I shiver in delight.

“I’m just now realizing I probably should have called or something. I was out and wanted to see you and here I am.”

Nathan draws me inside, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me deeply. “Don’t be silly,” he whispers, his lips brushing mine. “You’ve made my evening. I was just about to have a drink and enjoy the sky.” He jerks his chin in that direction. “Join me?”

I nod and follow him through the living room and onto the deck. The setting sun sends golden light shimmering over the ocean, and I take a moment to lean against the rail and breathe it in. The wind rustles my hair and my skirt brushes against my legs while Nathan presses a kiss to the back of my neck, my shoulder, my throat.

Maybe I don’t need to say anything about Fallon.

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