Page 59 of The Pucking Fake Marriage

“He was right,” I say, standing up. I feel almost dizzy, but I’m certain of what I’m about to do.

Kali blinks up at me. “What?”

“He was right,” I say again. “You don’t know me. Neither of you do, in fact.” Ken was happy enough to stick around as the underdog, but the moment I took away his hope, he took away my career. Neither of the Edwards twins are to be trusted. I got it right the first time—I should stay away from both of them.

“Get out,” I hiss at Kali. It feels good to finally say it, like I’ve been waiting to all my life.

He reacts as if I slapped him. “What did you just say to me?”

If I wasn’t still reeling, I’d probably be amused now. Darling Kali, the man who’s never been told no, now taken aback. “Get. Out. Now. I never want to see you again.”

Kali rises. “I’m just going to warn you this once about Ken. He might seem?—”

“Now!”

He stares for a few seconds, his face contorting monstrously, and then he storms out of my office, leaving me with the relieved feeling of having yanked off a lifelong burden.

SEVENTEEN

BREAKING POINT (KEN)

She’s standing by the sink when I walk into the house the next morning. Her back is turned to me as she makes coffee. A host of emotions rise in my chest as I walk past the hall and into the kitchen, my eyes never leaving her. Waves of silky dark hair are cascading down her back, and she’s wearing a shocking pink robe of some slippery material.

I’m going to bet she’s naked underneath. Hell, I’m going to bet that she slept like that, waiting for me to show up.

I don’t want to think about that, though. Because all it does is make me hate Kali more. I could have been here all night, fucking the woman I desperately want more than anything. That’s exactly what was supposed to happen after that look we shared back in the restaurant.

And then my asshole brother walked in and ruined the moment. Like he always does. I couldn’t even bring myself to come back home after seeing them together. It would’ve been too much, just having to imagine what he was talking to her about.

She turns around just as I reach the counter and slip onto a stool. Her eyes are red-rimmed with exhaustion.Good.I’d hate to know I was the only one who had a horrible night.

“Oh. You’re here.”

“Expected a lot more enthusiasm.” I’ve got a feeling that something about Kali has got Charlie veering off the other end. You know, where she starts treating me like the fucking enemy for no reason.

Before I can decide on that thought, Charlie rolls her eyes and gives me the shadow of a smile. “Not to sound like a nineties housewife, but you didn’t come home last night.”

I guess I was wrong. I return her half smile. “As I have been doing all month.”

Her lips twitch for a fraction of a second. “Aftera considerably long conversation with a puck bunny.”

Now this is new. Charlie is flat out telling me she’s jealous. It’s an interesting development, one that I welcome with open arms. “Meanwhile, you were talking to my brother.”

A look of alarm crosses her face. I can imagine why. For the first time, all our cards are on the table. Charlie and I have always known each other well, but we never quite keep it straight with each other. That’s changing now.

“I only stayed with him long enough to hear his jackass apology and kick him out.” Another new development, Charlie stating the truth even if it makes her look like she wants me too much.

Somehow, I wonder if this new version of her will last.

Or whether I can finally get her to tell me everything she’s been keeping from me since we were kids.

Charlie always wanted me. After all this time, the realization still fills me with a degree of shock. My crush on her wasn’t just a foolish one-sided fantasy. It was real and it was mutual.Even then, she enjoyed spending time with me more than she ever did with Kali. It was even hard to get jealous seeing them together as adults because they are so obviously mismatched.

She was in love with me. But for some damned reason, she chose him. And as much as I’ve promised myself to not get sucked into my past with Charlie, I can’t just let that go. I need to know.

Thankfully, I know exactly how to get her to fess up.

“So…what happened?” Charlie asks as she pours out two cups of coffee. “Looked like you left with her.”

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